Big Trouble in Little Rodentia
by DukePony
Summary: Immediately following the events of The Fox In Bunny Burrows (A New York Times Best Seller), Nick and Judy are thrown head-long back into the force. Assigned to a string of missing mammal cases, which occurred in their absence, Nick and Judy must dig up the past if they wish to make any progress. Rated T for adult jokes/themes, drug use and mild violence. Plenty of "WildeHopps"
1. Chapter 1

Judy's eyes opened slowly as she stared down her digital alarm clock. True to form the rabbit had awoken five minutes before her six o'clock alarm was set to chime. Rubbing sleep from her eyes, she reached out and groggily silenced the would-be disturbance. Rolling over in her tiny bed, she set her eyes upon the still sleeping form of Nick Wilde.

By the time their train had arrived from Bunny Burrows, last night, it was already three in the morning. Being that Judy's apartment was closer to the station, the pair had elected to stay at "Casa de' Carrots". Judy giggled at the thought of Nick's pet-name for her tiny studio apartment. She wondered if Nick was capable of not giving a pet-name to every significant item or person in his life.

By the time the duo had made it to Judy's accommodation, it was near four in the morning. While Judy had taken the time to change into an oversized sleeping shirt, Nick shed all but his heart-patterned boxers and passed out in her tiny bed. Judy lifted the blanket to peak at his sleeping physic and ensure that he was still clad in his "Night-Wear."

A mischievous grin made its way to her muzzle as she looked up to Nicks snoring face. Nick had fallen asleep with his mouth open, and while he normally snored a little, it was rare that he was so tired that his tongue was left to hang out of mouth; this was one such instance. Reaching up from the protective embrace of Nick's sleeping arms, Judy grabbed hold of the end of Nick's long flat tongue.

The result was near instantaneous. No sooner had she established her hold, did Nick's tongue attempt to escape her clutches. Judy brought her free paw to her mouth in a failing attempt to stifle her laughter. Nick's head instinctively attempted to recoil away from the assaulting rabbit's hold as his eyes shot open wide.

Attempting to shake his waking confusion, Nick let out a slurred "Caa-wwats?"

Judy released Nick's tongue allowing it to snap back into Nick's head. Judy now had both paws crammed to her face in a failed attempt to stem the tides of her laughter. Her violet eyes met Nick's emerald gaze and she lost control of her joy.

A very tired Nick glared down at the assaulting bunny which now shook with laughter. He was not amused. Clinging desperately to the concept of sleep, Nick elected to smother the giggling rabbit.

Judy let out a laughing yelp as Nick threw himself on her, in an effort to snuff out her joy. Cackling even harder, she now fought to escape the assailing red-menace.

"Sleeeeep…" pleaded Nick as Judy valiantly fought to escape him.

With a final burst of strength, Judy slipped out from under Nick, onto the floor of her apartment. Jumping to her feet, she poked Nick and whispered into his ear, "We gotta get up, otherwise we'll be late."

Nick curled up in the center of the bed under Judy's blanket, trying in vain to steel an extra wink of sleep.

Judy whipped the blanket off of Nick, leaving him mostly naked and exposed to the cold morning air of the apartment. "I'll shower first," she said to Nick as he rolled about the bed in tired-rage. "Then we can trade off. You're extra uniform is in the bottom drawer of my dresser. I'll be out in a few minutes."

Turning away from Nick's feeble tantrum, Judy stepped into the tiny bathroom and closed the door behind her. Giggling at her own morning antics, Judy disrobed and jumped into the small standing-room-only shower and turned on the water. The warm water washed away the previous day's sorrows and grime.

Loosing herself in thought, Judy absentmindedly scrubbed with a bar of soap while she recounted the weekend's drama to herself. Her heart swam with love as she thought of Nick's disastrous accidental proposal the Thursday before they left. A smile came to her as she remembered finding their "spot" at the earthen amphitheater Friday night. Sadness prickled her nose as she remembered Nick's fall from grace during his Saturday fight with her father. Happiness washed away her sorrow as she remembered the exact moment last night that she had followed Nick's voice out the back door of her parent's house, back into his arms.

Judy was snapped from her thoughts as her ears shot up, reacting to the sound of the tiny bathroom's door being opened. Expecting Nick to ask how much longer she would be, Judy waited in silence. To her confusion, she did not hear Nick's voice but instead caught the sound of the bathroom door closing again. Judy tilted her head as she tried to puzzle together Nick's actions. However, Judy let out a surprised yelp as Nick stepped into the running shower with her, still rubbing sleep from his eyes.

"Oh," said Nick as he finally opened his eyes, catching a full view of Judy attempting to cover her indecencies. "Taking a shower?"

Judy stood, frozen in shocked silence, as Nick matter-of-factly grabbed the still sudsy bar of soap from her guarding paw and began to rub it on himself.

Nick smiled groggily at his shocked Fiancé. Giving a quick peck to and squeezing past the still frozen rabbit, into the showers hot stream, Nick chuckled at Judy's deep-red blush.

"Nick," asked Judy in a mixture of shock and embarrassment. "What are you doing?"

"I'm showering," replied Nick as Judy turned about to face him. "What's it look like, you big dumb bunny?"

Judy met Nick's smirk with a glare of contempt as Nick ducked out of the way of the shower head allowing it to shoot Judy in the face. "Nick," hissed Judy, no longer attempting to cover her nakedness. "You need t-"

Nick cut Judy's rage short as he locked her muzzle in a deep kiss. Pulling away, he wiped a dollop of soap-suds on her nose and whispered, "Animals are trying to sleep. So why don't you wash up, and enjoy the show."

An hour had all but passed and the two found themselves in front the police precinct. The tired pair staggered up the massive stairs, each clutching their respective cups of snarlbucks coffee.

Nick fought with the cord of his police radio as it dug annoyingly into his armpit. "Carrots," he groaned to his partner. "How come I have to carry this heavy piece of police-junk?" The handset of said police-junk clipped to the front of Nick's uniform and sent a cord under his right arm to the compact radio pack which lived on his belt; squarely in the small of his back. Glaring at the offending radio, Nick continued; "How come I get this relic-to-the-old-gods and you get that _cute_ little radio?"

Nick recoiled as he caught Judy's death-glare. "I said the radio was cute, not you, Carrots." Nick's defense shifted as he continued, "But it does make you look cute as well."

Judy elbowed the offending fox in the ribs, assuring him that his comment was not welcome. "I am not cute, Nicholas P. Wilde! And you _get to_ carry that piece of Police-Junk because you're bigger than I am. Just be glad you're not an elephant; I've seen some of those guys carry around 800 pounds of steel plates and gear." Judy nodded at a passing elephant officer for emphasis of her point.

"Ok, I get the whole different sized loads," replied Nick still fighting the radio with his free paw. "But how come they thought it was ok to give me a wolf-sized radio. I'm a fox, there's a clear difference in size alone. That'd be like if they gave you…" Nick waved his paw in front of himself as he tried to form a comparison. "That'd be like giving you a kangaroo's radio because bunnies and kangaroos both hop." Nick smiled at his own analogy as he waited for Judy's rebuttal.

Judy laughed at Nick's comparison and assured him that the larger radio had its benefits. However, the pair were snapped to attention as they were pulled into the police chief's office.

Despite working on the force for two years, the massive Cape Buffalo still commanded a unique form of respect that sat on the brink of intimidation. Both Nick and Judy shared a single proverbial hot-seat, which sat in front of Police Chief Bogo's massive desk. After shifting around some papers on his desk, the Chief removed his reading glasses to look at the miniature crime fighters.

"So, I see you two made it back from the weekend alright," the Chief smiled tensely at the duo, prompting them to stir uncomfortably. "Now I don't want either of you thinking you're too important, but…"

Nick smiled at the opportunity to butt into Bogo's statement; "You sure know how to roll out the welcome mat!"

"Officer Wilde," grumbled the massive mammal. "Do you think anyone would notice if I showed up with a fox-leather belt tomorrow?"

Judy snickered at Nick's near instantaneous recoil. She loved watching the two mammals harass each other.

"As I was saying," continued Bogo. "You two have been on the force for a little over two years now. Since the resolution of the Night Howlers incident Zootopia has seen little more than the occasional speed-pursuit or convenience store robbery." Bogo took a deep breath as he steeped his hooves, preparing to continue; "However, in the four days that you two were away, we've had a rash of missing mammal cases."

Chief Bogo pushed a positively _massive_ folder towards Nick and Judy, who looked upon it with a mix of amazement and shock. The chief continued as Judy attempted to gingerly lift the titanic folder from Bogo's desk; "I'd say something about luck and rabbit's, but honestly I've lost too much sleep trying to keep the media from inciting a panic."

"How many cases is this?" questioned Judy as she flipped through the folder.

"Forty three…" replied Bogo.

Both Nick and Judy's jaws dropped at the astoundingly high number. Forty three mammals in four days was a disaster, and a city-wide panic waiting to happen.

"Every case has come out of Little Rodentia," The police chief shook his head at the epidemic. Steeling himself, the buffalo continued "Now, normally we require six years on the force to become detectives. However, seeing as you two have proved yourselves before, and you're the only mammals on the force who are small enough to reasonably investigate in Little Rodentia; I'm going to make an exception. Congratulations officers, you're both officially junior detectives."

Nick and Judy's eyes lit up at the presented promotion. Nick opened his mouth to speak but was cut down by Bogo's pinned back ears and furrowed glare.

"Officer Wilde, if you make a crack about bubble-pipes or plaid hat's you'll be on parking duty for a month, abductions or otherwise!" The Chief pointed a sharp hoof at Nick, and waited for Nick's mouth to close. The cornered fox's mouth snapped shut prompting a thin smile to crack the Chief's iron façade. Continuing; "If you two plan to keep this promotion, then you have three day's to make headway before this case blows up into a giant fiasco. I want you two to solve this, but if you can't, then we're going to have to call in a federal investigations. This many missing mammals may be too big for the ZPD alone."

"We won't let you down, Chief" chimed Judy nodding assuredly as she tucked the massive folder under her arm.

"I'm counting on it," replied the Chief smiling at the two newest detectives on the force. Standing up, he dismissed Judy and Nick for duty. Watching the tiny duo make their way out if his office, chief Bogo spoke; "And by the way… Welcome back."

"It's good to be back," chimed both Nick and Judy in near unison. Stepping into the hall, the pair exchanged excited glances as they mentally prepared for their newest case.

 **Oh hot-diggity!**

Did you miss reading "oh hot-diggity" at the end of every chapter? I bet you did! If you did, then get ready for more! Big Trouble in Little Rodentia is officially out, and I will be releasing new chapters every Tuesday, Thursday and Sundays until it's over. Be sure to follow, favorite and comment on the new story.

-Enjoy the next chapter!


	2. Chapter 2

**Dear reader,**

Duke here, and I wanted to welcome back all of the fans of my previous work. I would also like to welcome anyone who is new to my work, and I would like to take a moment to suggest reading The Fox In Bunny Burrows (Which can be found by going to my author's page). This story starts the day after the events of that story and makes heavy references to the aforementioned work later on. In any case, I hope you're all as excited for the new story as I am.

-Enjoy

Judy absentmindedly admired her silver engagement band from its home on her outstretched paw, all the while Nick struggled to squeeze through the civilian gate to the miniature city of Little Rodentia.

"Carrots, I'm glad you like the ring and all…" Nick struggled to catch his breath as he fought to squeeze through the rodent entrance to the mini city. "But I think I'm stuck. Can you please help me?" Nick's elbows gave way and his upper body splatted onto the pavement.

Judy giggled at Nick's plight. From her vantage point, Nick looked as though the wall that separated the miniature district from the rest of Zootopia had been built over top of him while he was sleeping. Judy blushed a little as she imagined what the view from the other side of the wall might be.

"I don't get how you made this look so easy," grumbled Nick as he lifted his head from the ground.

"Bunnies are made of rubber," Judy replied matter-of-factly. "It's why we bounce."

Nick exhaled deeply and shot Judy a half-lidded glare before making a last-ditch effort to squeeze through. "I swear… this radio's gonna be the _death_ of me!" Admitting defeat, Nick squeeze himself backwards and disappeared back into the wall. Moments later he climbed the wrought-iron fence of the mini-district and landed on the other side, next to his partner.

Stopping to catch his breath after the embarrassing ordeal, Judy took the opportunity for some lighthearted teasing. "Look at you, Officer Wilde, we aren't even married yet and you're already domesticated." Judy giggled as she went to pinch Nick's belly.

Nick swatted her paw away defensively as his nose caught a sour-whiff of air. Following his nose; Nick lifted his arm to find that during his ordeal he had sweat through both layers of his uniform, and now sported dual pit-stains.

"Very sexy," cooed Judy patronizingly as she saw Nick's embarrassment. "I didn't even know foxes could sweat."

Nick's arms dropped to his sides in exasperation as he stared straight up into the sky. He cursed the powers that be for his equipment. "Foxes sweat from their noses and paw pads," Nick groaned. "And if we would have taken the construction access like I said, I'd still have my dignity."

"Come on, officer wet-and-Wilde," Judy laughed as she pulled out her note-book. "We got a case to crack."

Making their way through the mini-district, the duo were amazed at how truly little, Little Rodentia was. Even walking single file, they took up two lanes of traffic on any road they walked down. Finally making it to the latest crime scene, Nick and Judy cordoned off the area and prepared to investigate. However, there was a _small_ problem.

"We're still too big!" groaned Judy as she knelt to look into a tiny window. The scene of last night's abductions was a narrow brownstone, from which all 15 residents had been abducted. "How are we supposed to find clues if we can't even fit into the crime scene?"

Judy turned around to look at Nick, whom was absentmindedly leaning against an apartment building that came up to chest height on the fox. "Nick!" Judy yelled at her offending partner, "Don't lean on that, there's animals living there!"

Nick's posture stiffened as he sprung off the side of the building. Looking down, Nick's ears pinned back in embarrassment as a tiny rodent opened a window on the side of the building to yell at the "giant" fox. "Carrots, I hate to be that guy…" Nick pleaded as he waved apologetically at the disgruntled mouse. "But this place makes me feel like I'm having a bad trip."

Judy rolled her eyes before returning her attention to the crime scene. Getting down on all fours, Judy brought her head to street level and looked in through the front door of the brown stone. Judy's face crumpled up in confusion as she noticed that the doors had been torn from their tiny hinges, and that the front-door jamb was smashed inward. "A forced entry…" Judy mumbled to herself. Looking further into the building, she saw that the dry wall inside the reception area was broken all the way down the hall. Turning her attention to the stairs, which lead to the upper floors, Judy noticed that all of the wooden railings that lined the staircase had been broken off their bases. "It looks like a cannon-ball rolled through…"

"Hay, carrots!" Judy sat up in shock as she was pulled from her thoughts by an excited Nick. "Look at this tiny fire-hydrant I found; It's freaking adorable!" Nick eagerly outstretched his paws to present an itty-bitty yellow fire hydrant to his still sitting partner. Judy's eyes briefly lit up with excitement at the fox's gift, before her ears pinned back in concern.

"Nick," Judy asked politely, peaking past her partner's hips. "Where did you find that?"

Nick's excited composer was entirely snuffed out as his ears flattened back in realization. Turning to look behind himself, both Nick and Judy caught view of a small spout of water that jetted out from a hydrant-sized hole in the side walk.

"Nick!" shouted Judy as she realized where her partner had found the tiny hydrant. Springing to her feet, she snatched the hydrant from Nick with a glare.

"I swear, it was like that when I found it," defended Nick as Judy angrily stormed past him in an attempt to replace the hydrant.

After jamming the miniature public-service back into the concrete, Judy turned around to scold the disaster-prone fox. "What are you doing?" demanded the angry rabbit. "We have forty-three missing mammals, and you're busy destroying public property! Can you not take anything seriously?"

"At this point in our relationship, you should _expect_ that I am prone to not thinking," said Nick very matter-of-factly, as he crossed his arms at Judy.

Judy slapped a paw to her face in exasperation as she let out a frustrated groan. "Nick…"

"Okay…" Nick dropped his guard after seeing how truly on-edge his partner was. "Give me the run down, carrots. What'd you find?"

Instantly perking back up at the opportunity to return to the case, Judy enthusiastically recounted her findings. "There's signs of forced entry on the ground floor. However, I can't figure out what's going on with the walls..." The Duo knelt to look in through the destroyed front door of the mini-apartment building.

"It looks like someone was a little too big for the building…" mumbled Nick as he stroked his chin in thought.

Judy cocked her head to the side in confusion as Nick continued to explain. "See how all the railings on the stair case are broken off? A mammal who was too big for the building probably did that on their way up. And the smashed drywall probably happened as the perpetrator made their way through the building."

A smile lit up Judy's face as Nick finished his explanation. "Look at you!" Judy said, playfully punching Nick in the Shoulder. "Junior detective Nicholas Wilde hard at work!"

Nick shrugged as he explained; "Something similar happened when I crammed Finnick into a mouse-house when we were pups."

Judy opened her mouth to comment before being silenced by Nick's outstretched paw. "I'll tell you that story later," Nick assured as he got to his feet. "But first we should talk to an old buddy of mine. He hears everything in these part."

In a flurry of honking horns and angry mice, the titanic detective duo had made their way to the heart of little Rodentia. Nick knelt behind _Chet's Cheese_ , a local staple of the mini-district, and the previous home of one of Nick's few legal jobs. Nick spoke with Chet, a rotund Deer-Mouse with abnormally large ears. Meanwhile, Judy attempted to clear the traffic jam that had formed behind them as they had walked through the tiny-city.

"Nicky!" Chet squeaked with open arms. "The prodigal-pup returns, How are you, son?"

Nick picked up the little mouse and brought him to his chest for a hug, all the while making sure that Judy wouldn't see his soft-spot for the tiny mammal. "It's good to see you pops," Replied Nick after setting the mouse back down behind the restaurant. "It's been ages, they don't exactly let foxes like me stomp about Little-Rodentia anymore."

The pair shared a laugh as they recalled their long-gone past together. "You're a cop now, aren't you, Nicky," said the mouse as he gestured excitedly at Nick's uniform.

"I sure am, pops," replied Nick, polishing his badge with the underside of his wrist. "I'm actually a detective as well."

The rotund mouse looked as though he might faint from joy at Nick's announcement. "Awe, Nicky, you were always such a good pup. It does my heart good to know you're doing okay now." The mouse shot a smile at Nick before sobering up for business. "So, I s'pose you're not here just to say 'hi'. What can ol' Chet do for you today?"

"Well pops," Nick whispered to Chet, prompting the little mouse's abnormally-large ears to perk up. "I wanted to know if you knew anything about the missing mammals."

The cheery mouse's composure became that of dead-seriousness and remorse. Shaking his head, Chet told Nick; "I ain't heard nothing, son. Whoever's doing this isn't leaving anyone behind." The mouse wrung his paws as he continued. "Last night; everyone in the building across from mine disappeared. Gone!" Chet snapped his tiny fingers for emphasis. "But I can tell you; I got woken up by laughter last night. Unfortunately when I finally got up to check, the laughter was gone. I'll bet my best cheese; whomever took those mice, was the same animal that was laughing."

The pair stood in sober silence, as Nick scrubbed his chin in thought. "Laughter, eh?"

"Yeah, but it wasn't happy laughter," assured Chet. "This was something else, borderline maniacal." The tiny mouse shook his head as he straightened out his chef's apron.

"Well thanks anyways, pops" Nick said as he continued to ponder the lead. "I'd better get off your tail before you send my partner and me out on a delivery."

The chubby rodent laughed as Nick picked him up for another hug. "Is that bunny your partner on the force?" asked Chet as Nick set him back on the ground.

"Not Just that," Nick said as he pointed to his own ring-finger, and then at Judy.

Chet's tiny face lit up with joy as he made the connection. "That's my boy!" the miniscule mouse all but jumped for joy. "Look at you, all grown up! I'd better be invited to the wedding; don't leave little-old me out to dry!"

"Wouldn't dream of it, pops," Nick told the mouse as he turned to leave. "If you're not careful, you might end up catering the whole event."

Chet laughed as he made to go back into his restaurant. "Say hi to Finnick, won't ya?" Chet turned to yelled as he closed the back door to _Chet's Cheese._ "Make sure he keeps his snout clean."

Nick nodded and waved at his old friend as he closed the back door to one of Nick's many homes. Turning away from the mini-restaurant, Nick made his way over to Judy whom had just finished clearing up traffic.

"Chet didn't give me much to go on," said Nick, prompting Judy's face to melt in disappointment. "However, he did say he heard someone laughing the night that building got cleaned out."

Judy wrung her paws as she tried to piece together a mental puzzle. Exhaling deeply, Judy decided to shake up the conversation; "How do you know Chet?"

Nick's eyes lit up as he reminisced about his child-hood. "When I was a little pup, I used to work for him. Finnick and I were delivery-boys, back when they were more 'laxed about larger mammals coming into the district. Come to think of it, we're probably the reason _why_ they don't let larger mammals in." Nick laughed as he remembered his old job. "It was the first and one of the only _legal_ jobs I've ever had. I had to help out after my dad left…" Nick's voice trailed off.

"I'm sorry, Nick…" said Judy, reaching out a paw to comfort the saddened fox. "I didn't mean to stir up bad memories."

"I'm fine, Carrots" replied Nick as he flattened the front of his uniform with his paws. "I just think it's stupid they don't let kids work in the district anymore."

Judy noticed that Nick had dodged around what had actually bothered him, but elected to let him continue.

"They still let larger mammal work construction and utility," Nick pointed to a sewer-cap that seemed uncharacteristically large for the mini-district. "I can't see why they don't let kids earn a few bucks like Finnick and I used to."

Judy's brain jolted into over-drive as she looked at the sewer-cap that seemed too big for the road it was stationed on. Grabbing at Nick's arm, she was at the edge of a revelation; "S-say that again…"

"Like Finnick an-"

"No!" Judy cut in. "The other part!"

"They still let larger mammal work construction and utility?" replied Nick, not sure of what Judy was hinting at.

"That's it!" Judy shouted, bouncing into the air in triumph. "The broken walls, the oversized sewer-grates; our kidnapper is a larger mammal that came out of the sewer! That's why there's no witnesses!"

"Because he's not getting in and out of the city by road" said Nick, putting together the pieces as well. "There was a sewer-grate right out front of the brownstone; He's using the sewers to hit and run!"

"But what about the laughter?" questioned Judy, slowing her excitement at the small hiccup in logic. "Are we looking for some sort of crazed lunatic?"

"That or someone who's high on…" Nick's eyes widened as he was struck by sudden realization. "Carrots, do you know what's built directly under Little Rodentia?"

"No, why?" Judy cocked her head to the side as she returned Nick's excited gaze.

"The gateway to drugs and nightlife, Carrots" Nick said as he began to wring his paws together in excitement. "Little Rodentia sits squarely on the biggest passage way to the Nocturnal district."

 **Oh hot-diggity!**

Did you just read the whole chapter? Did you enjoy it? If you did, then read another! But before you go, please be sure to write a review, leave a favorite, or make a suggestion. I do this for me, but also for you guy. So please, give me your thought.

-Enjoy the next chapter!


	3. Chapter 3

**Dear reader,**

Come, sit with me and talk a while. Do you want something to drink... No? Okay then. Ah yes, the story. As you may have guessed, this chapter takes place in the underground, or the Nocturnal District, which appeared in earlier versions of the movie. As you may very well expect, there are minor references to drugs, and all sorts of naughtiness... Exciting stuff, really... In any case, if that's not your bag, then may I suggest waiting until Thursday for the next chapter? What's that? Drugs totally "are your bag?" then by all means; make yourself at home.

-Enjoy

"So needless to say, that's probably why they don't let kids work the district anymore" Nick smiled down at Judy whom giggled at his childhood story.

The pair were a blast from the past. Having elected to go "under-cover" in pursuit of their next lead; Nick and Judy were dressed in civilian clothes for what seemed like the first time in the two years since Nick joined the force. Nick straitened his tie as he rolled his shoulders about the confines of his green Hawaiian button-down. His tan khakis clung to his legs and Nick thanked the heavens he did not have to carry his police equipment. Judy had elected to wear a faded pair of blue-jeans and a pink flannel with the sleeves rolled up. Nick thought she looked adorable.

"It's good to see that destruction of miniature-public-property isn't a new quirk for you, Mr. Wilde" Judy giggled as she and Nick made their way past Little Rodentia.

Nick shrugged and shot Judy a coy smile as he said; "I'm nothing, if not consistent." Looking up at the metro-entrance style building which was tucked away next to the mini district, Nick took the opportunity for some explanation. "So I've got a guy… who _may_ be able to help us."

"Great!" Chimed Judy as she made to dart down the throat of the building. "Then what are we waiting fo-"

Judy's roll was cut short as Nick snatched her up by her arms. "Whoa there, Carrot's" Nick said as he set the surprised bunny back on the ground next to himself. "Not so fast, energizer-bunny. Cute little farm-girls don't usually handle the underground to well. So I want you to follow my lead, and just try not to stare too much."

Judy met Nick's smug gaze with one of contempt. "Don't call me cute, and get a move on. We've got a case to solve."

Nick chuckled at Judy's suppressed rage, and offered her an outstretched paw. Begrudgingly, Judy intertwined paws with her partner and the perfect-odd couple began their pilgrimage to the under-belly of Zootopia; The Nocturnal District.

Despite it being the Heat of the Day, the subway-style station was surprisingly cool and damp. Judy's ears perked up at the thrum of what she assumed to be machinery. Looking about, she noticed the station was surprisingly clean and sterile. Light gray concreate and white tile flooring composed the interior of the room and harsh white light seemed to emanate from nowhere. Judy cocked her head in confusion as they reached the bottom platform of the stairs which wound their way down the throat of the hidden district. Instead of subway turnstiles, there was a wall of elevator doors. Above them, a sterile black and white sign read; "Welcome to…"

"I thought it'd be more…" Judy's sentence trailed off as Nick held up a single digit to silence her. Leading the rabbit by the paw, Nick and Judy stepped into one of the elevators which opened automatically as they approached. Looking about the small room's interior, Judy realized there were no buttons for floors. A hiss caused Judy's ears to twist about as the doors closed behind her and Nick. The pair stood in silence for an impassable moment as Judy waited for the sinking feeling of an elevator going down. However, Judy's grip nervously tightened on Nick's paw as the clean white light of the cell died down to a near perfect darkness.

"Nick…"

"Shh…"

Judy's heart began to race as she searched the darkness for Nick's emerald gaze.

A loud hiss caused Judy to jump in shock before her jaw dropped at the completely beautiful and alien scene that sprawled out in front of her. A bustling subterranean metropolis unfolded before Judy's eyes as her world turned upside down. Strings of colored lights hung over the streets bathing everything in festive shades of pink, purple, yellow and blue. Threads of neon decorated windows and signs, drawing in mammals like moths to a flame. No cars traversed the streets of the bustling under-district; rather everyone made their way on foot. A massive archway stood in front of them, sporting "The Under Ground" in gorgeous neon.

Chuckling at Judy's frozen shock, Nick began to drag the stunned rabbit through the gateway of the under city. Judy's eyes jumped from sight to sight as Nick lead her through the alien-scape by the paw. Droves of nocturnal animals and subterranean mammals which Judy had never seen before pushed past the duo overloading the dumbfounded rabbit. Judy's head spun on a swivel as she looked from patches of dark green ferns to droves of bioluminescent mushrooms. In an overpowering moment of child-like wonder, Judy slipped Nick's grasp and ran off into the crowd.

"Carrots!" Nick shouted as he lost sight of Judy in the sea of mammals. "Come back!"

However, Judy was in a world of her own. Spinning circles as she ran, Judy absorbed all the sights and beauty of the artificial night time forest. Something caught her eye, and Judy came to a stop.

The excited rabbit stood in front of the trunk of a very large tree. Climbing it with her eyes, Judy was reminded that she was underground when she saw that the tree broke through the vaulted ceiling about fifty feet above her, presumably continuing on the surface. Turning her attention back the base of the tree, Judy was shocked to realize there was no grass where she was standing. Instead, her feet sunk into an invitingly soft layer of pale-green moss. Judy giggled with wonder at the amazingly alien sensation before her eyes were abducted by a beautiful distraction. Making her way over, Judy's breath caught as she stood in front of a bioluminescent flower.

The flower was like nothing the country rabbit had ever seen before. Its solitary leafless stem erupted from in-between the roots of the massive tree. The singular flowering bulb glowed with a pail white light which was punctuated by the flowers yellow inner stems. Sniffing the air, Judy caught a whiff of the flowers otherworldly-sweet scent. Entranced, Judy outstretched a single paw to pick the mysterious and enthralling orchid.

"That's not a good idea," came a voice, snapping Judy from her trance. Nick had grabbed Judy's outstretched wrist, stopping her paw meager inches from the glowing bloom. "That's a Siren's Orchid, Carrots. They're good luck, but kind of dangerous…" Nick smiled Down at Judy as her eyes focused back in on her partner.

"Why can't I pick it?" asked Judy looking longingly at the enticing flower.

"They're a powerful narcotic…" explained Nick with a smirk "And even stronger aphrodisiac."

Judy blushed deep-red at her almost blunder.

"But if that's your thing, then far be it for _me_ to stop you…" Nick shot the flustered rabbit a coy smile, warranting a punch to the arm.

"Har, har, Mr. Wilde" grumbled Judy, recovering from her lapse in direction. "So what are we doing down here again?"

"We, are going to go see an old friend of mine" replied Nick, taking Judy by the paw. "He 'works' a… bar… around these parts. If we're lucky, he may just help us."

Judy shot the Siren's Orchid a longing glance over her shoulder as Nick lead her away into the flow of midnight mammals. Basking in the neon and bioluminescent glow of the nighttime-district, Judy was surprised when they finally stopped out front of their destination.

"Dee Dee?" asked Judy, craning her neck to look up at the massive neon sign which adorned the front of the windowless building.

"It's pronounced 'Double D'" instructed Nick. "And this joint used to be _the place_ to be back in the day. If it's anything like it used to be…" Nick trailed off as he was swept up in the past. Snapping back to the present, Nick was horrified to see Judy disappear into the club. "Carrots, wait!"

Judy covered her mouth in shock as the den of debauchery enveloped her. She felt her ears burn red-hot as she looked about the hoard of half-naked, dancing, drinking and partying animals. Music assaulted her ears as she watched the rhythmically twisting sea of bodies. Judy felt embarrassed at what she was seeing, and let out a surprised yelp as a set of paws grabbed her shoulders from behind.

Nick, having caught up with his partner, steered Judy around the outskirts of the massive dance-floor to the bar area, which overlooked the swirling mass of dancing fur. Sitting her on a stool at the bar, Nick took the opportunity to poke fun at the flustered bunny.

"What's a matter?" Nick teased. "I thought you've seen everything before…"

Judy held her paws to the sides of her face, forming make-shift blinders to keep the swirling mass of bodies out of her vision.

"Carrots, I didn't know bunnies were such prudes… what with the propensity for-"

"Nick," Judy turned a fiery glare on the offending fox. "if you say it, our names are going to be on the front page of the Zoo-times; and not for solving the case!"

"Easy there, fluff" chuckled Nick, raising his paws in mock innocence. "I'm just trying to loosen you up a little."

"I don't need to relax," hissed Judy. "We need to find your friend, get our lead, and leave this… _place._ "

Nick threw his head back in a hearty laugh. "Oh, Carrots" Nick shook his head as he spoke. "We don't _find_ Rocket; he'll find us. But in the meantime, let's get you nice and loose" Nick made to wave down the bartender, but Judy struck down his raised paw.

"Nicholas P. Wilde," Judy all but yelled while feeding the fox a death-glare. "We are on shift!"

"We're also supposed to be blending in," whispered Nick with a subdued hint of frustration. "So you need to _relax…_ Otherwise we're not going to get anywhere." Nick raised his paw to signal the bar tender again. Nick rested his free paw on Judy's shoulder, pulling her into his side in an attempt to reassure his partner.

"Well if it isn't Slick Nick!" yelled the bartender as he stopped in front of Nick and Judy. "Far be the day I thought we'd see you again! What can I do you for?" The opossum bartender threw a rag over his shoulder before shooting the duo a lopsided smile.

"Jazzy-Jazz, my main opossum-man!" Nick smiled rubbing Judy's shoulder reassuringly. "My little bunny here found herself a Siren's Orchid today. First time underground and everything!"

The bar-keep flattened the front of his shirt before shooting Judy an excited smile. "You found yourself a handle, eh? You know, we nocturnals say that's good luck!"

"That's what Nick said," replied Judy, relaxing a little under the opossums welcoming gaze. Extending a paw, Judy continued; "I'm Judy, it's a pleasure to meet you."

"Ja'Zarrious, but all my buddies call me Jazz" the opossum heartily shook Judy's paw before turning to Nick. "Strait off the farm with this one, eh Nicky?"

Nick shrugged briefly in response to the bar-keeps assessment. "She's not as green as you might think. So, can you hook us up with some drinks?"

"Absolutely!" bellowed the opossum with a genuine air of excitement. "And I've got just the kick for the lucky-rabbit's foot!" Jazz winked at Judy as his long prehensile tail fished colorful bottles from under the bar. Mixing and shaking together two concoctions, the opossum made a brilliant spectacle of producing their drinks. Nick's drink was a swirling black ichor which was served in a rock glass with a single ball of ice. Meanwhile, Judy's drink was a shimmering white martini which Jazz garnished with a slice of bioluminescence mushroom on the rim. Nick slid his card towards the bar-keep upon receiving his drink, only to have it pushed back at him. "It's on the house!" Jazz smiled as he spoke. "But I gotta warn you; The Big Boss is in tonight. And last time I checked, The Iron Pony and you aren't on very good terms."

Nick nodded and shook the opossum's paw. "Thanks Jazz, I owe you one!"

"No sweat," replied the opossum. "Just howl if you need anything." The opossum smiled at the duo before excitedly ducking away to serve other patrons.

Nick and Judy clinked the rims of their glasses together before sipping their respective drinks. An explosion of flavor almost knocked Judy off her stool. Pulling back to admire the beautiful cocktail, Judy's ears caught the sound of Nick chuckling.

"What do you think, carrots, you like the underground?" Nick took a long pull from his own drink as he waited for a reply.

"If everyone's as charming as Jazz, I think I'll make it." Judy took another, larger, sip from her own respective cocktail before smiling at Nick. While not normally a drinker, Judy found the shimmering concoction quite enjoyable.

"Don't get any ideas," laughed Nick, elbowing Judy playfully. "Hay Carrots, check this out." Nick opened his jaws allowing his long flat tongue to hang out of his mouth. Much to Judy's amusement, Nick's drink had died the surface of his tongue jet black. Snapping his jaws shut, Nick leaned forward and locked Judy into a deep and passionate kiss. Judy's eyes bulged in shock and fluster as Nick's tongue swept across her own.

"Nicholas!" Judy scolded as she broke the foxes exhilarating kiss.

Nick held a single digit up to silence any protest as he allowed his mouth to fall open again. As Nick's tongue unfrowned, Judy's fluster turned to excitement and wonder as she saw that Nick's tongue was now glowing a pail blue. Judy couldn't help but laugh in amazement as she craned her neck to look for the opossum bar tender. Catching her gaze from across the bar, Jazz simply nodded and winked at the excited rabbit.

Returning her attention to Nick, Judy stifled a laugh as she caught Nick's now luminous smile. "You're teeth are glowing!" Nick simply pointed to the mirror which stood behind the stock of bottles at the bar, prompting Judy to lock eyes with her own glowing reflection. "I love it!" laughed Judy as she admired her own glowing smile.

Clinking glasses with her partner, the rabbit-fox duo downed their respective glasses and Nick raised a paw for another. Judy's brain began to swim with chemicals as the stiff concoction made its way through her body. Looking about the club, Judy marveled at the beautiful shades of bioluminescence and neon which filled the dance hall with vibrant hues of pink, blue and yellow. Returning her attention to Nick, who had just finished ordering their second round, Judy locked her partner in a deep kiss.

"How come we've never done this before?" asked the chemical rabbit as she giggled at the duo's renewed mouth-glow.

"We've always been busy with work" replied Nick with a shrug. "And you just never struck me as the type who would like… all this" Nick waved a paw in the air for emphasis, as Jazz slid the duo their second round of drinks. This time, the opossum served them two glowing shots which were accompanied by a salt shaker and matching wedges of lime. Nick grabbed one of the shots before shooting Judy a concerned glance.

"Hay Carrots," Nick locked eyes with Judy in a sober moment before continuing; "I don't want you to get in over your head. If you're at your limit, or you don't feel comfortable, you'll let me know, right?"

Judy smiled as she met Nick's concerned gaze. Placing her paw on top of Nick's, Judy nodded reassuringly.

Giving Judy a quick peck, Nick snapped back into the spirit of the party. "This one's called a body shot," explained Nick as he handed the glowing mini-drink to Judy. "First you take the shot," Nick counted on outstretched digits as he explained. "Then you lick the salt, and then you bite the lime. Think you can swing it, carrots?"

Judy swirled the mini drink in its glass as she smiled at its soft green glow. Returning her attention to Nick, Judy's ears blushed red-hot as she watched Nick loosen his tie, undo the top buttons of his shirt and pull the collar of his button-down off to the side far enough to expose his left-side collar bone. Finishing his prep work, Nick scrubbed a paw-full of salt onto his neck and clenched one of the lime wedges between his front teeth. Smiling from around the sour fruit, Nick chuckled at Judy's blush in the lime-light.

Judy's heart raced a million beats a second as she mentally prepared for the task at hand. Throwing back the glowing shot; a fire caught in her throat, and a cough cut Judy's swallow off at the pass. With an explosive back-fire, Judy blew the shot all over Nick's excited face.

Recoiling in horror, Judy covered her mouth as she looked to Nick, whom was coated in a mixture of salt, glowing liquor and rabbit spittle. Expecting a violent reaction of disgust, Judy was surprised when Nick erupted in laughter.

Nick spat the lime back onto the bar-top and attempted to wipe the offending mixture from his face-fur, all the while cackling at his predicament. "I guess that answers the whole 'spits or swallows' question" laughed Nick as he scrubbed his fur with a paw-full of napkins.

Judy thought that she very well may die of embarrassment, as she watched her partner clean up her mess. As Nick finished scrubbing his face, his ears instinctively twisted to the dancefloor as they caught a familiar bouncy synth tune. "I haven't heard this song since grade school" blurted out Nick, smiling excitedly at Judy. Throwing back the remaining shot, Nick drug the still embarrassed rabbit by the paw into the ocean of dancing bodies.

"I don't know this song!" yelled Judy over the deafening beat.

Nick smiled coyly at the rabbit as they stepped into line with the mass of strangely organized animals. "Just follow my lead!" Nick kissed Judy on the cheek as the lyrics moved into full swing.

" **S** -S-s-s…"

" **A** -A-a-a…"

" **F** -F-f-f…"

" **E** -E-e-e…"

" **T** -T-t-t…"

" **Y** -Y-y-y…"

"Safety, Dance…"

Judy couldn't help but laugh as she matched Nick and the crowds clapping. "The Safety Dance?" Judy asked, turning to look at Nick, whom was uncharacteristically very excited to dance.

"Absolutely, Fluff" Nick replied, hooking Judy's elbow as the pair rotated in sync with the crowd. "Mammals Without Hats; 1982"

Unhooking arms, the two danced across from each other to the music. Judy's bubbly excitement was complimented by Nick's ancient dance moves, as he mockingly sung along with the olden dance-tune. "Cause if Carrots don't dance, and if she don't dance; well she's no Carrots of mine!"

Judy twisted, hopped, danced and laughed along with Nick's excited chorography. Spinning about, Nick caught a paw full of glowing paste which was being chauffeured about the dance-floor on trays carried by waitresses whom effortlessly wove through the dancing sea. Eliciting a giggle from Judy, Nick smeared the luminous body-paint under his eyes making for two stripes of war paint. With the remaining paint, Nick drug his thumb across the chemical rabbit's forehead leaving a trail of luminous blue.

Sucking the residual paint from his thumb, Nick removed the digit from his mouth to offer a painted index finger to Judy. Giggling, Judy took Nick's outstretched digit in her mouth. Seductively swirling her tongue about the pad of Nick's pointer finger, Judy's brain kicked into overdrive as the luminous-mushroom-based body paint began to coarse through her system.

"Whoa," said Judy as a cloud of steam began to swirl inside her lungs. Locking eyes with her partner, Judy was filled with a mighty _need_ for Nick.

The chemical duo danced with and ground into each other for what seemed like an eternity. Judy reveled in how amazing Nick's rough paw-pads felt on her fur, and Nick was lost in the soft expanses of Judy's gray body. Breaking the eternal moment, a slender and gorgeous vixen slid in-between the dancing odd couple.

"Little Nicky," spoke the vixen as she separated Nick from Judy. "The best ones _always_ come crawling back. So what'll it be tonight, the regular?"

"Excuse me," interjected Judy, sobering up with her rising anger.

"Oh, you brought a friend…" the vixen smiled sharply at Judy before returning her attention to Nick. "She can watch, but it'll be a hundred extra."

"Whoa!" barked Nick as he held up his paws in an attempt to separate himself from the assailing Vixen. "That's real kind, Becca, but I'm not here for… _that_ "

Becca crossed her arms in disappointment as she watched Judy reclaim her position at Nick's side. "Then what can I do for you, Mr. Wilde?"

"We're here to see Rocket," replied Nick, reassuringly rubbing Judy's shoulder.

Without another word, the female fox spun on her heels and wove her way through the swirling mass of animals. Following close behind, Nick and Judy made their way through the club towards Rocket's lair.

After passing through several guarded and sound-proofed doors, the trio now stood outside of Rocket's lair. Judy's ears still wrung from the blasting dance music, as they transitioned to the much more manageable level of rock, which played from the other side of their final door. Standing in tense silence, it was Becca who spoke first.

"This would be your stop…" spoke the fox vixen with a hint of edge in her voice. Stepping out of the way, she offered the duo passage.

Walking through the final gate way, Nick and Judy were assaulted by the scene of carnal excess which was trademark of powerful figures in the underground.

"So I said 'Rectum?' Damn near killed 'im!" The raccoon exploded into laughter prompting his nocturnal harem of six women to match his joy. Catching sight of Nick and Judy intruding, the raccoon snapped his jaws shut and fixed Nick with a death glare. "Will you look who it is…" The raccoon pushed several bodies off of himself as he stood to great the intruders.

"Rocket!" Nick said, raising his paws in good faith. "You look good, you been working out latel-"

"YOU'VE GOT SOME NERVE," Rocket cut Nick off as he started towards the duo. Judy thought that the raccoon might look funny, dressed in nothing more that Zootopia flag underwear and a sunset yellow kimono, if he weren't so intimidating. "Where do you get off, _waltzing_ in here, with your **Bunny** in tow…" Rocket snapped his attention to Judy, taking on a murderously sweet smile and composure. "Rocket raccoon, pleasure to meet you."

"Judy Hopps… Nice to meet you to," Judy gingerly shook the raccoon's outstretched paw, tilting her head in confusion as the raccoon politely kissed the back of her paw.

Snapping his attention back to Nick, Rocket renewed his anger. " _Waltzing_ in here, with your **Judy** in tow… You know what I think?" Rocket now stood directly in front of Nick. While the raccoon was shorter, Nick somehow looked small as the furious mammal stared him down. "I think I should call in the old 'Iron-Hoof' to send you packing!"

"Oh, no no no…" Nick waved his paws in front of him, as a murderous smile grew on the raccoon's face. "Listen, pal, we don't want any trouble,were-just-looking-fo" Nick lost all of his normally collected composure as the raccoon continued to bare down over him.

"Gotcha…" smirked the raccoon, stopping Nick dead in his tracks. With an explosion of laughter, the raccoon jumped back to point and laugh in Nick's face.

"YOU SOULD HAVE SEEN THE LOOK ON YOUR STUPID SKUNK-BUCKET FACE!" yelled Rocket, all but doubled over in laughter. "OH MY _WORD!_ Y-YOU Really thought…." Rocket gasped for air, as he wiped a tear from his eye. Nick was not amused. "Oh, I'm sorry, bunny" said Rocket as he attempted, and failed, to reclaim his composure. "I haven't seen Slick-Nicky in _years!_ I just _had_ to"

Realizing they were not in any actual danger, Judy let a nervous laugh join Rocket's glee.

"Come, sit, tell Rocket of your troubles, Little Nicky!" said the raccoon, bounding over a table and landing back on his couch with his harem. Snapping his fingers, Rocket gestured for a female fox and a raccoon to break away from his harem and attend to Nick.

Taking a seat across from Rocket, Nick cleared his throat and nodded his head towards Judy, whom he had placed an arm around on the couch.

In a glorious moment of misinterpretation, Rocket winked at Nick's indication and assigned the female fox to Judy, prompting a face paw from Nick.

"Don't say anything," whispered Nick into Judy's nervous pinned-back ears as the female fox wrapped herself about Judy's free shoulder. "It's rude to deny 'hospitalities'"

Turning his attention back to rocket, and attempting to ignore the female raccoon whom now toyed with Nick's neck fur, Nick began to explain their predicament.

"That's not a case!" bellowed Rocket. "That's a disaster!" Judy's ears pinned back every time Rocket spoke in attempt to escape the raccoon, whom somehow managed to always speak just barely on the wrong side of too loud.

"All our signs lead us to the underground…" Nick finished explaining. "And with the laughter, we think it might have something to do with drug traffic. You wouldn't happen to know anything, would you Rocket?"

The raccoon scrubbed his chin in thought, as one of the four members of his scantily-clad congregation scratched at his ears. "It's not any of my guys, that's for sure. We don't push to the rodents; they never buy enough stock for it to be worth my time. And besides, my crew doesn't do abductions. That's something an up-and-comer might try to pull… yeah…" Rocket trailed off in thought as he wracked his brains for a potential culprit.

Nick took a moment to look down at Judy, who was still chemically-compromised. A thin smile graced Nick's face as he caught the look of absolute bliss on Judy's face as the female fox petted Judy's long gray ears. Returning his attention to Rocket, Nick caught the raccoon mid-epiphany.

"I think…" Rocket paused to brush away a distracting paw from his inner thigh before continuing. "There's some new boys in town; a gang of giant rats…"

Nick's attention shifted as he batted away the female raccoon's paw, which had been toying dangerously with his belt line.

"I don't know what they're on, but those fracknards never shut up" Rocket recounted. "The big boss threw a gaggle of those clowns out of the club a few nights ago. If anyone's breaking into Rodentian real-estate, I'd bet my tail it's them."

"But why would they be pulling abductions…" pondered Nick. "It's pretty counterproductive to kidnap your own clientele, if you ask me."

"I couldn't tell you, Nicky" replied the mostly naked raccoon. "What I can tell you, is that they're probably using the sewers of Rodentia as a hang out. Once ol' Iron-Hoof threw them out, they all disappeared into the access point down the way. If I were you, I'd start there."

Nick nodded his head in approval as he tried to fight back the female raccoon who was now attempting to undo his Hawaiian shirt. "I like the way you're thinking, Rocket."

Rocket shrugged at Nick from under his blanket of scantily clad female mammals. "Eh, I do what I can. 'Sides, nobody kicks up dust in my district but me." Smiling at Judy's comatose state, Rocket commented. "Now that we're done with ' _buisness_ ' how about some pleasure? I've got a brand new batch of after-glow that'll perk your little rabbit right up! What do you say?"

"As much as I'd love that," Nick said, stepping off the couch and sending the female raccoon back to Rocket's harem. "I think it'll be a high order sobering up little-miss-day-tripper here for a proper Steak-out, without any more chemicals."

With the female fox's help, Nick drug the blissful-bunny off the couch and to her feet.

"However," Nick turned his attention back to Rocket. "We could probably use some coffee."

 **Oh hot-diggity!**

Did you just read another whole chapter? Did you enjoy it? If you did, then read another! But before you go, please be sure to write a review, leave a favorite, or make a suggestion. I do this for me, but also for you guy. So please, give me your thought.

-Enjoy the next chapter!


	4. Chapter 4

**Dear reader,**

Happy Thursday!

-Enjoy

" _She's a; DAY-TRIPPER…_ " Nick mockingly sang as Judy massaged her temples, attempting to quell the storm in her head. " _They call her 'chemical-bunny' she's got… rock and roll in her eyes!_ "

"I can't believe it's only three in the afternoon," grumbled Judy as she Checked her phone. Taking a sip of her coffee, Judy looked about the patio dining area before continuing; "how is that even possible? It's night out…"

"We _are_ in the Nocturnal District, Carrots" laughed Nick at Judy's plight. "It's always midnight here!" Nick leaned his chair back on to two legs as he smiled at Judy.

The duo had moved from the _Double D_ , to a smaller nocturnal diner/café down the street. "The Atomic Café" glowed above the detective duo in vibrant Neon as they sipped coffee in the restaurant's patio dining area. Judy nursed a chemical hangover, all the while watching the sewer access which sat a block away on the opposite side of the street.

"But we were in that club for ages," reasoned Judy, still not fully able to grasp how early in the day it was.

"We were in the _Double D_ for four hours," explained Nick. "But we did get there at eleven in the morning… There _is_ a reason why the party never stops here, Carrots."

Judy finished her second cup of coffee and began to look for the barista whom tended the establishment. Judy's heart skipped a beat as she was struck by a grim realization. "We're not going to fail a drug test now, are we?" Judy's fear was palpable in her voice, and prompted Nick to lean his chair back onto all four of its legs.

"We're Fine, Carrots" Nick placed a paw on top of Judy's in an attempt to reassure the clearly nervous rabbit. "Most all of the chem's that circulate the underground are actually legal."

"Really?" Judy cocked her head in confusion as Nick continued.

"Absolutely," Nick shot Judy a tender smile. "Most everything, including the paint we took, is entirely legal. It's just that distribution is so over-regulated that the substances are almost impossible to get. So, _brave_ mammals like Rocket self-produce and distribute to the masses. _That's_ the illegal part." Nick paused to sip his coffee before finishing his tangent. "So technically speaking, it's not illegal to purchase, or consume any of Rocket's products. It's only illegal to manufacture and distribute. Ultimately, I think it's just a tax scam on the cities part…"

Judy smiled in both relief and surprise at Nick's explanation. "Look at you, and here I was thinking you were _just_ a pretty face…"

Nick laughed as he shifted his chair back onto two legs. "Nope, that responsibility lies squarely with you."

Hours passed, and the duo found themselves hungrily admiring the dinner menu of the Atomic Café. Laying her menu flat on the table, Judy stopped to check her phone; 6:00 Pm. Sucking air past her teeth as she glanced to the still-silent sewer access, Judy struck up a new conversation.

"I really like it down here" Judy smiled at Nick, whose ears perked up from behind his menu wall. Continuing; "All the glow-y stuff… It's very pretty. And all the animals down her have a certain…" Judy looked about the diner as she searched for the correct wording. "They have an energy to them! Like every day is exciting to them." Judy frowned at Nick as he lowered his menu to look at her. "I really don't get why we've never been here before."

Nick folded up his menu and blew a deep exhale out of his nostrils. "I'm glad you like the underground, Carrots, but it's not exactly my favorite place anymore."

"What do you mean?" Judy shot Nick a puzzled glance at the fox's somber reply.

"All this," Nick waved a paw for emphasis. "All this does is remind me of who I used to be… And I'm not terribly fond of that animal anymore."

"Nick…" Judy mumbled.

"Sure, I had fun," Nick continued over Judy. "And I had lots of 'friends,' but I was spiteful, conniving, and self-loathing. I had a lot of 'fun' in this city, but it was more out of a necessity of the life I lead… as opposed to a love of life… But now I have you." Nick smiled at his partner, who returned his smile with a hint of sadness. "And I have the ZPD, and what's more to ask for than a cute bunny and a stable job?"

Judy bit the inside of her cheek as she maneuvered about Nick's teasing, and attempted to stay the course. "You shouldn't be so hard on yourself, Nick" Judy spoke as she attempted to make eye contact with the emotionally-shifty fox. "You didn't know any better; you were just doing the best you could with the cards you were dealt. And besides," Judy rested her paw on Nick's forearm. "It _was_ that self-loathing conniving con-mammal I fell for when we first met."

Nick smiled timidly at the reassuring bunny. In the back of his mind, he couldn't help but wonder how he got so lucky. Nick fought for a reason as to why he deserved any of Judy's love. Snapping back to reality, Nick couldn't help but cut short the overtly tender moment by flagging down a waitress. Nick loved Judy very much; he was just bad at showing it.

After placing their respective orders, the duo renewed their conversation with a less tender topic.

"So what mammals live in the underground?" asked Judy, not entirely satisfied in how their previous tangent had ended.

"Technically anyone can live here, Carrots" Nick replied matter-of-factly, sipping a glass of water that their waitress had brought them. "But, a large percentage of the population is traditionally nocturnal mammals. You have everything from opossums, like Jazz, to raccoons, like Rocket. Some species of foxes which are more exclusively nocturnal live here as well. And then you have a lot of animals that are barely too big for Little Rodentia, but still work the utilities." Nick nodded his head towards the sewer-hatch, which was the center of their steak-out. "However, Moles almost exclusively live here, as opposed to the rest of Zootopia."

Judy cocked her head to the side in interest, "How come?"

"They're all blind" said Nick.

"Nick!" Judy recoiled in disgust at Nick's insensitivity. "You can't say that, you should be ashamed of yourself!"

Nick threw his head back in laughter, which prompted Judy to get even angrier. "Relax, I don't mean anything by it. It's a biological fact."

"You're not helping your case, Nicholas" scolded Judy, crossing her arms at the offending fox.

"Hear me out," Nick held up a digit to silence Judy before continuing. "You see our waitress?"

Judy craned her neck to catch sight of the female mole whom had taken their orders. Returning her attention to Nick, Judy opened her mouth to comment, but was cut off.

"Entirely blind!" Nick waved a paw in front of his eyes for emphasis before continuing, earning an even harsher glare from the offended rabbit. "But, you'd never notice; because the city is _built_ for blind mammals."

Judy's frustration began to lose out to interest as Nick continued to explain.

"If you look at the carpet, or the street outside," Nick gestured to both as he spoke "you'll notice that there are those weird patterns which are formed out of different lengths of carpet or the types of concrete on the street."

Judy marveled at the previously insignificant designs which had spanned the entire city without her even noticing. A smile crept across her face as she watched a family of moles weave their way through the bustling sub-city street and file into a building together.

"Those patterns are there to help the moles navigate." Nick folded his arms behind his head as he continued to blow Judy's mind. "The different materials tell the moles everything about where they are going. Using just their feet, they are able to tell street address, cardinal direction, location of the nearest bathroom, and even which table they are at. Speaking of which;" Nick stopped to smile up at their waitress whom now carried a tray of delicious smelling food.

"Is everything going okay for you two?" asked the mole waitress as she placed Nick and Judy's respective orders in front of them.

"Absolutely," replied Nick with a smile. "We were just talking about how blind you are."

"Nick!" Judy all but lunged at Nick over the table, prompting a disarming giggle from the attending staff.

"Oh, it's quite alright" assured the waitress, facing towards Judy. "I am, in fact, almost entirely blind. My 'eyes' as most mammals would call them; are only really sensitive to extreme changes in light. And some species of my kin don't even have eyes. But most animals don't even notice, what with how dark it is down here." The charismatic mole smiled and 'winked' at Judy before continuing. "You two wouldn't happen to be Judy Hopps and Nicholas Wilde, would you?"

Both Nick and Judy's posture stiffened at the realization of being found-out. Despite being "under-cover," It was Nick who spoke first to confirm the Mole's speculation.

"Oh, my word!" squealed the waitress, almost bouncing with glee. "I love you guys! You two are such an inspiration to everyone! _None_ of my friends are going to believe me when I tell them this story later."

Judy smiled politely up at the excited mole. "You could take a picture with us, to show…" Judy trailed off as she realized her own mistake.

The female mole laughed in kind spirits; "Oh, you are just _too_ precious! That's quite alright, Judy." The waitress politely placed a paw over her mouth to snuff out her laughter, as Judy turned a deep shade of embarrassed.

Nick smiled at the two females before whispering, "We are under-cover right now, so if you could…"

"Oh!" squeaked the mole before miming zipping her mouth shut. "We moles are nothing, if not good secret-keepers. If you two need anything, just be sure to holler." At that the waitress politely bowed and skipped away from the table.

Nick smirked at Judy, whom was obviously still embarrassed. "A photo, eh?"

"Hush, you" hissed Judy as she turned her attention on her food.

A few more hours had passed, and the duo had all but died of boredom. Checking her phone, Judy exhaled deeply as she saw that it was now 9:00Pm. Taking a sip of coffee, Judy decided to pry at Nick to pass the time.

"So…" Judy drug out the word as both her and Nick lazily stared at the dormant sewer access-point.

"Yes…" Nick groaned in reply, taking a long pull from his coffee.

"Becca?" Judy asked, prompting Nick to choke on his coffee. Smiling, Judy continued; "the female fox from the Double D… what's her deal?"

"What do you mean," sputtered Nick as he attempted to regain composure.

"What'd she say again?" Judy reveled as Nick squirmed under her gaze. "That it would be an extra hundred if I watched… watched what?"

"I have no idea," replied Nick, as his ears pinned flat in fear.

Judy sat up in her chair before fixing Nick with an "I know better than that" stare, prompting Nick to wilt even further.

Exhaling deeply, Nick prepared to dig his own grave. "Carrots, I won't lie to you, but allow me to preface by saying; don't ask questions you don't want answers to."

"Nick!" Judy punched the embarrassed fox in the arm. "You said you had fun, here… but her?"

"Hay!" Nick barked defensively. "I told you I wasn't fond of who I used to be, and I meant it for many reasons."

The pair sat in tense silence, as a smirk grew on Judy's face.

"So how many?" asked Judy, in an overly professional tone.

"How many what?" replied Nick, praying that the conversation would shift.

"How many foxes…" Judy paused to steep her paws, "have you slept with, Mr. Wilde."

Nick exhaled in exasperation. "Well they weren't always fo-" Nick's jaws snapped shut as he realized he may have fallen off the proverbial deep-end. Judy's eyes bulged in shock, but quickly transitioned to excitement as her brain processed what Nick had almost said.

" _go-on…_ " said Judy as even bigger smirk made its way to her face.

"You know what, no!" Nick crossed his arms, prompting Judy to recoil in disappointment. "Why am _I_ being put on trial here? You're the rabbit, how many mammals have you slept with?"

"For your information," Judy replied, mater-of-factly, "I've only ever slept with one rabbit. But we didn't do anything, so it doesn't count."

"Oh good," coughed Nick, sweating as he attempted to navigate the conversational minefield. "I too, have only slept with one rabbit… But she didn't do anything for me, so it doesn't count."

Judy feigned a gasp of offense as she tried to contain a laugh. "I didn't do _anything_ for you?"

"Not at all…" Nick shook his head sarcastically as Judy started to climb across the table, in an attempt to prove him wrong. Locking eye's with the seductive rabbit, Nick started to smile as Judy leaned in close for a kiss. As Nick tilted his head to lock snouts, he inadvertently looked past Judy's sultry visage, and saw that the sewer grate was no longer vacant.

"Shoot, Carrots!" Nick all but yanked Judy off the table as he turned her around to look at the target at hand. "Look, at the sewer access."

Judy chased a sexually frustrated cloud of steam from her lungs as she attempted to see what Nick was so excited about. Instantaneously, Judy's frustration turned to excitement as she caught sight of a large mammal in a cloak.

The offending figure wore an inky-black cloak, and was pacing outside of the sewer grate. The cloak obscured any fur that might give away the suspect's species, but from across the street, Nick and Judy could guess that it was a predator. The figure stood about two heads taller than Nick, but was as wide as a barn door. Even from their distant post, the duo could see muscles rippling under the thick black cloak as the mystery mammal walked circles.

"Check out big shoots…" Nick mumbled as Judy's eyes widened in amazement. "God I hope that's not our guy."

As if on cue, the sewer grate sprang open, and the hooded figure turned his attention to the surface passage.

Nick and Judy watched in silence at the scene that began to unfold. Judy's ears instinctively sprung up as they caught the distant sound of maniacal laughter.

One by one, an assembly line of giant rats exited the grate and threw their respective work-loads of bound and gagged Rodentians into a burlap sack, which was held by the cloaked figure. Judy's mind rolled into overdrive as she realized the laughter was not coming from the rats, but rather the mysterious figure.

Reaching into her pant-pocket, Judy produced her compact hand-held police radio. Readying herself to call in the suspect, Judy keyed the radio with her thumb.

"KSHHHHH!" The radio bellowed static at the detective duo, causing both Nick and Judy to jump. Judy keyed the radio several more times in vain, only to be greeted by static. Looking up, the duo realized that the under-city's concreate roof was blocking Judy's signal.

"Tell me you brought yours," hissed Judy as she counted eight abductions and rising.

Nick held his paws out as he replied; "And where, pray-tell, would I keep the damn thing?"

"Shoot," whispered Judy as she pocketed her radio and produced a tazer. "I guess we can't count on back up."

"Okay," hissed Nick as he produced his own respective tazer. "This is the part where I tell you 'this is a bad idea' ready? This is a bad idea."

"Somebody has to do something," replied Judy, turning her attention on Nick. "That's the thing about being an officer; you get to be that someone." With no further delay, Judy produced her badge and charged down the street. Nick followed close behind.

"HALT, Z.P.D!" Judy brandished her badge as she ran towards the crime scene. "YOU ARE ALL UNDER ARREST!"

All the rats froze in fear of the law, as Judy stopped well within taser distance of all of the suspects. However, As Nick joined Judy's side, the figure began to laugh. First a nasally giggle rose from the black recesses of the cloak, but before either Nick or Judy could react; the hooded criminal threw its head back in laughter, shedding the thick black disguise.

Primal fear spiked in the back of Judy's mind as she caught sight of the muscular shirtless canine. Looking over the mammal's black and white striped fur, Judy found herself at a complete loss as to what species the animal was. He was big, with rolled shoulders and a powerful neck, the canine seemed to be almost as wide as he was tall. A square head and snout indicated that the culprit was of canine decent, however his pointed wide ears seemed to indicate otherwise. A thick bristly mane of fur crowned his head and ran down his spine and the length of his bushy tail. The mammal looked almost disproportionate, being composed of nearly all power full core/upper body, with shorter sturdy legs. Catching the duo in a moment of shock, the criminal barked a laugh before turning to run.

All hell broke loose, as giant rats scattered down the street and back into the sewer. "AFTER THE… DOG!" Judy yelled as she chased down the fleeing suspect.

Nick and Judy followed in the wake of destruction and toppled animals that the striped convict left behind. While Nick and Judy dove and weaved through the crowds of midnight mammals, the bulldozer of an animal tucked his square head and plowed shoulder-first through the hoard of party-goers.

"HE'S HEADED TOWARDS OLD-TOWN" panted Nick as he rode Judy's heels. "IF WE'RE NOT CAREFULL *puff* WE'LL LOSE HIM IN AN ABANDONED BUILDING!"

Turning a corner, Judy realized she was losing ground on the bulldozer as she attempted to weave through the hoard of toppled animals. She'd have to change up her tactic if she were to stand a chance of returning the abducted rodents. Looking up, Judy had an idea.

"FOLLOW MY LEAD!" Judy yelled to Nick as she ran, jumped off a stack ofcrates, rebounded off a neon sign, and grabbed onto the side of a fire-escape which clung to the side of a windowless building. Looking down as she climbed the fire escapes, Judy caught sight of Nick crashing into the pile of boxes, and tangling himself in their wreckage. "Nick…" Judy hissed in frustration. In a split second decision, she elected to come back for Nick _after_ she saved the rodents.

Jumping from rooftop to rooftop, the acrobatic bunny managed to regain her ground on the fleeing mammal. The crowds had all but vanished as Judy noticed more and more abandoned storefronts/apartments. Judy realized, in a moment of triumph, that she had all but overtaken the mountain of a mammal. However, her victory was short lived as the roof of an abandoned single story apartment gave way under her, plunging her into its ruins with a crash. Judy let out a yell of pain and frustration as her body impacted an ancient dresser, and sent her rolling across the floor into the side of a disheveled moth-eaten bed. A ploom of stuffing launched into the air upon her impact and Judy scrambled back to her feet.

Looking out the smashed front door, Judy realized that the criminal had stopped to investigate the rabbit's downfall. Leveling her taser at the hulking canine, who took up the entire doorway, Judy barked; "FREEZE!" and pulled the trigger.

An electric crackle filled the air, and Judy's sensitive ears twisted towards the source of the noise; which came form behind her. Following the deployed wires from the front of her gun, both the canine's and Judy's eyes followed the taser-leads to where two prongs stood; embedded in the floor. The massive criminal's stout muzzle lit up with joy as another cacophony of laughter escaped his imposing frame.

Judy cursed as she realized that her taser must have deployed when she impacted the dresser. Returning her attention to the front door, Judy caught site of the criminal ducking down an alley-way.

Ejecting the spent cartridge, Judy fumbled with her extra leads as she jetted after the escapee. However, as Judy exited the building, she was all but pancaked by Nick, whom had just caught up.

"CARROTS," Nick panted as he skid to a halt, mere inches away from bulldozing his partner.

"HE WENT THAT WAY!" pointed Judy as she took off down the alley-way. Analyzing her stun-gun as she ran, Judy realized her tazer had been damaged in the fall and would not accept a new cartridge. "MY TAZER'S TOAST!" Judy yelled to Nick, whom was hot on her heels. "YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO TAKE THE SHOT."

Rounding a corner, the pair came to a dead-end. With panted relief, Nick realized the criminal was trapped with nowhere to go.

Turning about to face the duo, the massive canine tossed his bag of prisoners to the side. A wicked smile crept across his striped muzzle as a giggle escaped his intimidating frame. "Silly rabbit and silly fox…" said the striped criminal. "I'm not trapped in here wit-"

Nick shot the canine mid-sentence, earning him a disgruntled glare from Judy. "What?" Nick shrugged as the sound of electricity filled the alley-way. "He was monologing, you never let them finish their monolog."

Laughter stole the duos attention. Returning their gaze to the electrified mammal, Nick noticed that the taser's leads were still buried in the canine's striped barrel chest. However, the coursing electricity appeared to have no effect.

The massive criminal grabbed the taser's lead wires and pulled them tight. Nick's vice-grip on the handle of his weapon stayed true, and the fox slid forward slightly in the gravel that littered the back alley. Swinging the lead to the side, the criminal pulled Nick slightly off balance. Shifting his weight, the striped assailant swung Nick into Judy's side, laughing all the while.

Fox skull met rabbit skull met the brick wall, and the detectives were knocked unconscious.

 **Oh hot-diggity!**

Did you just read another whole chapter? Did you enjoy it? If you did, then read another! But before you go, please be sure to write a review, leave a favorite, or make a suggestion. I do this for me, but also for you guy. So please, give me your thought.

-Enjoy the next chapter!


	5. Chapter 5

**Dear reader,**

Happy Sunday! Once again, I would like to say thank you each and every one of you whom has taken the time to read my work, make awesome comments, or send me amazing personal messages. It is little bits of input that make my day, or let me know that my time is being well spent. When I first elected to write Big Trouble, I was very worried that people would not like the story or premise. However, the amount of messages from people whom are trying to actively puzzle out the case; has shown me that people are _very_ excited about this story. For those of you wandering what mammal our striped maniac is, I think you'll probably feel pretty silly for not figuring it out sooner. In any case; I'll stop jabbering,

-Enjoy

A single neuron fizzled and sent a weak informational pulse. Another neuron captured and relayed the prior's message to several more. Slowly, the bio-electrical grid came to life, and the rabbit's brain relayed a single message; pain. Judy's brain was on fire with a renewed migraine, which mirrored the chemical-hangover from hours before. Without opening her eyes, Judy made to hold her head in her paws. However, the rabbit found that her wrist would not budge. Throwing her eyes open wide, Judy found that she had also been blind-folded. Judy's heart began to race as she struggled against her bindings. The rabbit's fears were confirmed as she realized that she was bound by wrists and ankles to a chair which was far too big for her.

"N-Nick?" the rabbit recoiled at the burning sensation in her throat when she tried to speak. Swallowing hard, Judy quelled the fire and tried again; "Nick?"

A groan from the induced-darkness told Judy that Nick was presumably across from her. Instinctively, Judy's ears twisted forward as they caught the sound of Nick shifting in his bindings.

"Nick, are you okay?" Judy asked, worry palpable in her voice.

"I…" Judy could hear Nick swallow hard and clear his throat before continuing. "I think we got our asses handed to us, Carrots."

Judy let out a chuckle of relief as she realized Nick was okay. "Where are we?" asked Judy.

"Well," Judy's ears caught the sound of Nick struggling as he spoke. "I'll be sure to tell you… as soon as I get this blind fold o-"

*BANG!*

The duo were deafeningly silent as Judy's heart pounded with dread and fear at the concussive assault.

"Nick…" Judy pleaded.

"I'm okay…" came Nick's voice from slightly lower than it was before. "I fell over; Gimme… one second…"

Judy could make out the sound of tearing fabric as Nick struggled against his respective bonds.

Nick went silent for an impassable moment before Judy's blindfold was torn away. Nick's smiling visage was all that Judy could see, as she blinked and tried to adjust her eyes to the light.

"I gotcha, Carrots" said Nick, before pecking Judy's forehead and undoing her bonds. "Ain't the first time I've had to escape a chair" mumbled Nick as he finished untying Judy's paws.

Leaping forward, Judy wrapped Nick in a death-grip hug and planted a kiss firmly on his shocked Muzzle. Pulling back, she realized that Nick had a scabbed over gash above his left eye-brow.

"Oh my god, Nick" said Judy, reaching up to examine Nick's gash. "You're hurt!"

Nick grabbed Judy's paw before she could touch his wound. "Easy there, don't go gabbing fingers into me. I think I hit my head on the wall when the Hyena knocked us out."

Judy's mind raced as she recalled the failed pursuit. Furrowing her brow in confusion, Judy repeated Nick's claim back at him; "Hyena?"

"Big striped guy?" Nick mimed a tall and wide frame with his paws as he spoke. "He was a Hyena."

"I've never…" Judy's voice trailed off as she attempted to recall ever even hearing about the species.

"Yeah, they're not exactly common place on a farm…" Nick smiled at Judy as he continued; "or in Zootopia for that matter. The only other one I've ever met was a female from the underground, whom I dated in my teens. But that relationship ended over… 'intimacy-problems'…" Nick's voice trailed off as his ears pinned back in an unreadable expression.

Judy tilted her head in confusion as she attempted to decipher Nick's body language.

Clearing his throat, Nick continued; "ANY WAY! Hyena's are supper rare outside of their capital city of Shang-Hi'ena." Nick shook his head as he tried to put together a mental puzzle. "As for a striped Hyena… leaving the city is entirely unheard of…"

"How come?" asked Judy as she looked about the inside of their tiny metal cell. The walls of said prison were composed of rusty metal, and a single bulb flickered as its feed of electricity all but failed it.

"The striped Hyenas are the traditional honor guards for the royal families. Shang-Hi'ena is almost one-hundred percent predator animals by population." Nick continued as he tapped the steel walls of the cell with a claw. "They have a very traditional warrior-culture. The only reason why an honor guard would be in Zootopia is if he was banished, or if he was guarding a-"

Both Nick and Judy spun on their heels as they caught the sound of movement outside their cell-door. The sound of a heavy deadbolt sliding prompted both the mammals to panic.

"Follow my lead," barked Nick as he stood his chair back on its legs across from Judy's. Jumping back into his seat, Nick draped his torn bindings back over his wrists and replaced his blindfold. Tilting his head back, Nick was sure to leave a small gap where he could peak out from under his blindfold. Following directions, the Rabbit copied Nick, and feigned still being bound to her chair.

No sooner did the duo falsely imprison themselves, did the cell door fly open. Stepping into the cell, the Striped Hyena turned to check on his captives.

Peeking out from under his blindfold, Nick saw that the hyena still had the large sack of captive rodents. Before Nick could give a signal, Judy sprang into action.

Launcher herself from her chair, Judy rocketed towards the surprised Hyena, readying a powerful kick which was aimed at the towering mammal's iron-jaw line. With lighting reflexes, the striped honor hound back-handed the flying bunny out of the air. Judy flew across the inside of the cell and impacted painfully with the wall of the cell.

"Judy!" yelled Nick, launching himself at the hyena's back. Hitting his mark, Nick clung to the hyena's mane as he spun in an attempt to dislodge the fox. From his lofted perch, Nick found that the hyena's arms were too short to reach over his own muscular shoulders to where the assaulting fox had anchored himself. Nick attempted to loop his arm under the Hyena's throat for a choke hold, but found that his own arms here not long enough to properly encircle the muscular mammal's powerful neck. Pulling back to dodge an incoming claw from the mounted hyena, Nick found himself in a spinning gridlock with the mammal.

In a last ditch effort, Nick shifted his attention. Grabbing hold of the striped criminal's tall ears, Nick yanked up and back, prompting the mounted hound to let out a painful yelp as his head snapped backwards. Spinning on his heels, the hyena lost his balance and fell backward.

As the criminal toppled in slow motion, Nick found himself trapped between the iron-mammal's sculpted back and a chair, and then the floor. Reeling from the full-force back slam, Nick gasped for air and released his grip as the wind was knocked out of him.

Rolling off of the fox pancake, the hyena turned his attention to Judy's crumpled form. Nick reached out a paw as he fought for breath from amongst the wreckage of the chair. The massive mammal loomed over Judy, ready to strike the final blow, and Nick was powerless to stop him.

The hyena raised a heavy claw to strike, and Judy's eyes snapped open. Rolling back onto her shoulders, Judy launched an earthshattering kick upwards, and into the assailing animal's groin. With a deafening howl, the Hyena folded in on himself and rolled away from the previously trapped rabbit.

Springing to her feet, Judy grabbed the sack of rodents and helped Nick out of the cell. Feeling his breath return, Nick helped Judy push the heavy steel door closed, and seal it with the near-immovable steel cross-bar.

After putting a couple hundred pounds of steel door between them and the Hyena, Nick took the moment to scold Judy. "I know that mammal was a bastard," Nick panted. "But you should never give a mammal a shot to the pills; it's just poor form."

Judy met Nick's smirk with a glare as she opened the bag of rodents. Counting heads, Judy made out fourteen bound and gagged mice.

"We still need to find the rest of them," Judy said, handing the bag to Nick.

"What do you mean the rest?" asked Nick with a note of exasperation. "We've got all of them right here!"

"Not these ones," replied Judy. "The missing forty-three. If we're in their base of operation, this may be the best chance we have of finding the abducted mammals."

"Great!" said Nick, lifting the bag for emphasis. "We'll drop these guys off at the station, and then we'll come back with reinforcements."

"No," said Judy prompting Nick to face-paw. "We have to do this _now_!"

"We did this your way, already, rabbit!" replied Nick with a hint of frustration. "And we got knocked out, abducted, and _I_ just got pancaked by a line-backer of a mammal! And even if that wasn't the case, we have no way of contacting the Z.P.D! If we die down here, they won't even find our bodies!"

Judy's mind raced as she attempted to form a rebuttal. "But…" Judy trailed off under Nick's stern gaze.

"That monster in there almost _killed_ you," Nick pointed to the sealed cell door. "And I was powerless to stop him…" Nick's shoulders sank, as Judy realized his vulnerability.

"Nick…" Judy whispered as she moved in close to the guilty fox.

Nick pulled away, not wanting Judy to see the crack in his façade. "Grab the equipment," Nick gestured to a pile of wallets, tazers and pocket lint, which had been taken from them while they were unconscious. Judy scooped up the pile of spent tazers and misc items which sat next to the cell door. Stopping to reload Nick's tazer with their last cartridge, Judy was struck by an epiphany.

"The tazer!" Judy yelled excitedly as Nick turned around. "That's it, we can use the tazer."

"Maybe you hit your head a little hard, carrots" Nick said, furrowing his brow in confusion. "But the tazer did _nothing_ when we used it."

"Nothing but send out a signal!" Judy chimed, stopping Nick in his tracks. "Every time a cartridge deploys, it sends a signal to the ZPD main-frame. That way…"

"They can track down the officer in distress!" Nick finished Judy's sentence. "If they followed our last cartridges, then backup is probably already close by!"

Passing Nick his reloaded tazer, and pocketing her own, Judy smiled at Nick. "Would you do us the honor?"

Pointing the gun up into the air, Nick smirked. "And we're off to the races…" *BANG!*

The pair smiled as electricity crackled through the air. Ejecting the cartridge, Nick pocketed his now expended tazer and prepared to wait.

"When's the last time I told you about how clever you are?" said Nick with a smile.

"Mmm," Judy scrubbed her chin in thought "I think it's been abo-"

*BANG!*

Both Nick and Judy jumped at the deafening noise which came from the other side of the reinforced steel door. Another deafening impact rocked the door, and an outward dent formed on the door. More strikes impacted the steel barrier, causing the duo's jaws to drop in awe.

"You've gotta be kidding me…" mumbled Nick as he made to reach for his tazer.

A final impact threw the door from its hinges, sending scrap-metal and debris flying. The heavy deadbolt broke away from the door and careened towards the shocked duo. Judy, in a split second, ducked under the deadly projectile. However, Nick, whose paws were full, caught the thirty pound steel beam in the chest. Carrying the fox off his feet, Nick rag-dolled across the room and slammed flat backed into the concrete wall. Nick's skull connected with a sickening "thwack" and the fox slid down the wall into a slump.

"NICK!" cried Judy in terror as she saw Nick's lifeless body slide to the floor. Turning her attention to the culprit, Judy stared down the imposing honor-guard. Judy's blood boiled as the hyena climbed over the wreckage of the door.

Looming over the shaking and furious rabbit, the striped hyena let out a single barking laugh. Judy grit her flat teeth together in protective rage. Staring up, into the predator's beady-brown eyes, fear was the furthest thing from the rabbit's mind. Sliding sideways, Judy fixed herself between the towering carnivore and the crumpled remains of her fiancé. In this moment, Judy was ready to die protecting Nick.

Judy's mind went blank as the hyena spun on his heels and took off down a deserted hallway, laughing all the way. Judy had been so set on a fight to the death, that she almost didn't know how to react to the fleeing mammal. Snapping her back to reality, the primal voice in the back of her brain screamed at her; chase him!

Rocketing after the escaping bulldozer, Judy sprinted with the energy of a mammal-possessed. Attempted to shake the rabbit, the laughing culprit toppled everything in his path. Ancient filing cabinets and dusty book cases collapsed behind him as he attempted to separate himself from the pursuing rabbit. As Judy slid and dodged around and under the incoming blockades, the Hyena made very little separation between himself and the perusing police mammal.

In an odd reversal of roles, the predatory rabbit chased her prey with a vengeance she had never known. Turning a sharp corner into a machine room, Judy all but howled as the hyena's tracks went cold.

Inhaling sharply, Judy's higher brain functions came back online. The red drained away from her vision, and reason ruled in the rabbit's brain once more. Following her sensitive ears, Judy deftly maneuvered her way through the tangle of machines which filled the massive room. Recalling the flickering bulb in Nick and her's cell, Judy reasoned that these machines must have been what was stealing the power from the dying light. However, Judy could not recognize a single piece of equipment.

Tangles of wires choked the floor, making for an intricate root-system of electricity. Shifting her attention from appliance to appliance as she crept, the only thing Judy was sure of, was that these machines did not belong.

Freezing solid, Judy focused in as her ears twisted towards the sound of voices. Weaving through the digital jungle, Judy caught sight of a clearing, which housed _two_ imposing mammals. Stopping at the edge of shadows, Judy saw the striped honor-guard; groveling at the feet of an ornately dressed snow-leopard male.

"It worked, your highness…" giggled the Hyena as he made to kiss the leopards feet.

Judy turned her attention from her target to the royally-clad predator. He was tall, and imposing. While physically powerful, Judy could tell that he was not nearly as athletic as his guard. As he turned to face away from the striped groveler, Judy briefly marveled at the leopard's gorgeous silken robe, which was adorned with images of dragons locked in combat. Catching her breath, Judy watched as the royal-predator sniffed the air.

"You've brought me another toy?" the Leopard's voice came as a hollow monotone, as though his lines were predetermined or were being fed via teleprompter. "Come out, bunny… You cannot hide from me."

Pausing only briefly, Judy stepped from the shadows to face the imperial predator.

"Adorable," commented the leopard, setting his gaze on Judy "an officer of the law… But what laws rule _these_ lands, hmmm?"

Judy glared into the leopards eye's, as he spoke, and noticed they were near lifeless.

"Justice?" asked the leopard mockingly. "Equality? Honor? Or are these meager distractions from the law of the claw and fang?" The leopard snapped his jaws together in emphasis, sending an audible clap through the chamber. "You dilute yourself, officer. You believe that because you wear a badge, and stand for a cause, that it is your _job_ to protect mammals. You think that it is your _duty_ to save your rodents; my prey… Your only _job_ , rabbit, is to turn grass… into meat!" The leopard snapped his jaws once more at Judy for emphasis, before moving to circle the rabbit. "You are too late to save them… their _power_ has been… _consumed._ They now serve a higher purpose, they serve to further a new order… a _true_ order… a glorious order, where the strong survive, and the prey… are _eaten_!"

The leopard turned to frown at Judy's unbreakable resolve. "Such a brave little rabbit… it does not recognize the lion's den…" the Leopard let out a disturbingly monotone chuckle, prompting a wave of nasally giggles from the hyena. "Most prey, as I draw near, begin to panic. I can hear their breathing, I can hear their little hearts beat!" The leopard clapped his paws as he spoke, quickening his clapping for emphasis. "Faster and faster, their little hearts race; until I can almost dance to it! But you…" the leopard stopped his pacing and turned to face Judy, reducing his clapping to a slow constant beat "I get nothing. Slow, controlled, it's like a metronome; I could use it to keep time on a piano… or pace a march… ba-dum… ba-dum… perfect timing." The predator smiled, displaying a perfect row of razor sharp teeth, and prompting Judy's paw to reach for her tazer.

"Time's up…" the leopard pounced at Judy, jaws open wide, ready to maul and consume the rabbit. Snapping up her tazer, Judy pulled the trigger, prompting a short-range electrical storm to jump across its terminals. The blue ball of electrical plasma found its mark in the back of the leopard's throat, as Judy thrusted her arms forward into the gaping maw of the incoming predator. The leopard froze solid, and Judy swore she could see the electricity roll across the predators eyes as his pupils dilated into tiny pin pricks. The pair stood for in impassable span of five seconds, all the while the atmosphere clicking with electricity.

A deafening silence filled the room, and Judy wondered if she were perhaps dead. Feeling a hot breath push past her buried paws, Judy recoiled and withdrew her weapon from the royal leopard's frozen throat. Flicking a layer of filmy mucus from her paw fir, Judy tilted her head in wonder at the statuesque mammal which had so nearly mauled her. Instead of collapsing in pain, or recoiling with anger, the leopard had frozen in place. Were it not for the sound of breathing, Judy might have mistaken the mammal for dead.

Spinning on her heels, Judy leveled her tazer at the hyena, whom did not budge either. Swallowing hard, Judy returned her attention to the snow leopard whom was still crouched; mid-lunge. Letting out a loud exhale, Judy fumbled with and checked her phone to ensure that time was in fact still flowing.

"FREEZE Z.P.D!" Judy's heart nearly exploded as a heavily armored rhino barreled into the room, followed closely by a wolf and tiger officer. Confusion danced across their faces as they tried to interpret the scene.

"McHormic, Delgado, Wolffrid" Judy said in relief, "Thank god you're here!"

The rhino and wolf moved in to secure the frozen predators as the tiger officer broke away to speak with Judy. "Officer Hopps," said the tigress "are you okay?"

"Yeah," said Judy, smiling nervously as she tried to keep her paws from shaking. "I shocked the leopard before he could get me."

"Then you need to get back to Nick," replied the tigress, prompting Judy to wilt.

In her vengeance fueled rage, and adrenaline riddled standoff, Judy had all but forgotten that Nick had been injured, perhaps fatally so. Sprinting out of the machine room, Judy looked briefly over her shoulder to see the leopard being compliantly folded into a pair of paw-cuffs.

Retracing her steps, Judy's mind raced a million miles a minute. A silent prayer was ushered, and the rabbit burst into the room where she had left her partner.

A group of paramedics now gathered around where Nick's shell had fallen. Barely able to walk, Judy stumbled towards the throng of medical workers, trying to catch sight of orange fur. "Nick!" Judy cried, prompting the medical staff to crane their necks toward her.

Reaching the throng, the crowd parted, and Judy brought a paw to her mouth in shock.

"They ruined my shirt…" said Nick.

A muffled cry of relief and distress escaped Judy as she fell to her knees at Nick's side.

Nick now lay securely strapped to a spine board. His trademark Hawaiian button-down and tie sat in a tattered pile next to him, where it had been thrown after being cut away by the medics. A hasty bandage wrap encircled his torso, and was punctuated by a deep crimson circle.

Grabbing Nick's immobilized paw, Judy locked eyes with Nick's normally emerald gaze, and recoiled in horror as she found them to be almost entirely dilated black.

"Oh my god…" Judy's words prompted Nick to wince as his ears pinned flat in an attempt to escape any noise.

A hoof settled on Judy's shoulder, as a kind explanation was given to her by a zebra medic. "Officer Wilde appears to have several broken ribs, a minor laceration to his torso, and a severe concussion…" The medical staff lifted Nick's gurney, prompting a yelp of pain from the fox and a death glare from Judy. "We're going to take him to sacred lion's hospital for further examination, but your partner _should_ be okay." The medical team carried Nick out of the building, all the while Judy clung to his paw. As Nick was loaded into the back of an ambulance, Judy made to get in, but was stopped by a firm hoof on her shoulder.

"You can visit Officer Wilde later," came the firm voice of police chief Bogo, "but first; we need you at the station."

Judy's heart broke as she heard the ambulance doors close. She opened her mouth to protest, but realized she was too late as the siren sounded, and the medical unit peeled away into the artificial nighttime.

"I know you've been through a lot," assured Bogo as he led Judy to his police SUV. "But we need to get the rescued rodents back to their families."

In a tornado of flashing lights, and slamming car doors, Judy found herself back at the precinct. While the closure of such a massive case would normally warrant celebration, the atmosphere in the station was that of a funeral. It appeared that all the officers at the station were worried about Judy's other half.

After giving her report and recounting the ordeal several times, Judy found herself on the observing side of a one way mirror. Looking into the interrogation room, Judy watched the cuffed hyena laugh nonsensically. Shaking her head, she could not help but wonder whom was less helpful; the catatonic leopard, or the giggling honor-guard.

"I think he ate those mice…" whispered Judy to Bogo, whom stood next to her. "The leopard, sir, he said they were 'consumed'."

The imposing buffalo shook his head as he turned to look at Judy, whom stood on a table to look out of the observation room. "Shang Hi'ena's royal family may be evolved, but they are not civilized."

"He was going to eat me…" muttered Judy to herself, shuddering at the thought.

"I don't doubt it…" grumbled Bogo.

"Those poor mice… I…" Judy's heart broke as she realized the forty three missing mammal cases had become an equally large number of homicides. "I couldn't save them…"

"It's not your fault," interrupted Bogo. "As a police officer, it is your job to help everyone you can… but sometimes there's nothing you can do; besides your best. You're a fine officer Hopps."

Judy smiled at the imposing buffalo with tears in her eyes.

"But even the best among us fall short some times." Bogo linked his hooves behind his back as he continued. "If you're on the force long enough, you will fail eventually. And the twisted part is that it more than likely won't be your fault… All that you can do is dust yourself off, and move forward. Now go," Bogo returned his attention to the interrogation room. "Officer Wilde is in the hospital, and he probably needs someone to keep him company."

 **Oh hot-diggity!**

Did you just read another whole... Wait... What's my line again? Anyone remember? Umm, well... I g-guess that you can leave comments, I think? O-Or you could s-subscribe? God my head hurts... Where am I?

-Enjoy the next chapter!


	6. Chapter 6

**Dear reader,**

Ah, there you are! I've been waiting here for ages; just for you... Greg... Oh, your name isn't Greg? Well, this is awkward... Tell you what, if you see Greg, tell him my feet hurt from standing and waiting. In the meantime, why don't you go on ahead an- wait... I feel like I've said this before... god my head hurts...

-Enjoy

Judy felt as though she had been handed down a death sentence. Five broken ribs, fifteen stitches, and trauma induced amnesia.

While Nick had only lost approximately a month and a half; that time included the entirety of their trip to Bunny Burrows, and Nick's proposal to Judy the day before their trip. While Nick was ultimately the same mammal Judy had known and grown to love, she felt deep sorrow at loosing such a pivotal moment in their relationship. At such a tender time, Judy had elected to wear her engagement ring on a chain around her neck, where Nick wouldn't see it.

Three weeks; was the diagnosis. While Nick was medically cleared to return home, the doctors predicted it would be three weeks before his wounds healed and his concussion mended enough for him to return to duty. However, Nick's memories were another question entirely.

"The brain is a funny thing," the doctor had explained to Judy outside Nick's hospital room. "While Nick's memories may still be in there, there's no guarantee he'll ever find them. Just count yourself lucky it's only a month; I've seen mammals loose entire lifetimes…"

Judy remembered crying herself to sleep that night, while Nick slept in the other room. For the first week, Nick hardly left his bed, and Judy didn't leave Nick's apartment. Nick's concussion left him violently sensitive to light and sound, and it was all he could do to _exist_ in the inky darkness of his room. Judy's only contact with Nick for the time was whenever she crept silently into the pitch blackness to feed him some soup and ensure that he had water to drink, or when she helped change his bandages.

The second night of Nick's recovery, Judy made the mistake of attempting to talk with him while he ate. Her heart broke as she could feel Nick's mental ache radiate towards her through the darkness as he attempted to speak. His voice was shaky, and his thoughts came in fragments. Judy kissed the fox on the head and left him to the shadows.

Six days had passed and Sunday arrived. Judy was greeted with a surprise around noon when she heard Nick's bedroom door open of its own accord. Turning to look to Nick's door from her position on the couch, Judy felt the first ray of joy she had had in a week as she saw a disheveled fox standing in the door way. Nick was ungroomed, ragged and sported nothing more than a his dirty bandages and a pair of pajama pants, which Judy had given him on his last birthday (they were carrot patterned).

Judy wanted to run to him, squeeze him tight, and tell him how much she loved him. Instead, she crept softly over to where he stood. Looking up into Nick's tired eyes, Judy was overjoyed to see that the black of his irises had receded, returning the emerald-green that she so loved. Tears began to well up at the edge of her vision, prompting a soft chuckle from Nick.

"Come 'ere," Nick said, pulling Judy into a gentle hug "you bunnies; so emotional…"

The pair stood, with Judy's head buried in Nick's bandaged chest. Judy breathed in deep, but Nick's familiar and comforting smell was tainted by the coppery tinge of his bandaged wounds. The moment became too much for Judy and she began to sob. Shaking and crying, Judy's knees gave out. The pair now sat on the floor, with Judy curled up in Nick's lap as he stroked her long gray ears in an attempt to comfort his partner. Nick silently waited for Judy's sorrow to wain before he tried to speak.

"What happened to me?" asked Nick.

Judy paused and attempted to wipe away the offending sadness from her face fur. It never occurred to her that Nick may not remember their case or his own injuries. "Y-you don't remember?"

"Carrots," Nick whispered, "I'm not even entirely sure what day it is…"

"Y-you…" Judy attempted to formulate an explanation. The entire week that Nick had been laid up, Judy had not once considered how she was going to explain Nick's situation to him. "What's the last thing you r-remember" sniffled Judy.

Nick blew out hard through his nose as he tried to remember. "I… I can kind of remember, planning out our trip… I'm supposed to meet your parents a few weeks from now… I think." Nick's crumpled expression relaxed as he rested his forehead on his free paw. "My brain feels like a train-wreck… what happened to me?"

Judy's heart sank, and it was all she could do to keep the floods of her emotion at bay. "w-we were working on a c-case…" Judy sniffled. "And y-you had an accident… a-and it w-was all my fault…" Judy began to cry again

"No… Hay," Nick lifted Judy's chin, bringing her vision to his. "You are not to blame here."

"Y-you don't know that…" sobbed Judy, pressing her face back into his chest.

"I do to," retorted Nick, wincing at the force of his own voice. "You _are NOT_ going to blame yourself for this…"

"I am," replied Judy, with her face still smushed into Nick's chest. "It's entirely my fault that you've lost a month a-and a half of our r-relationship."

Nick stiffened in shock, "Carrots… what day is it?"

"The twenty fifth…" mumbled Judy into Nick's chest.

"Of what month…"

"July…"

Nick stopped petting Judy's ears as he brought a paw to his muzzle in shocked silence. Judy listened to the steady beat of Nick's heart for what felt like an eternity. Breaking the silence, it was Nick who spoke first; "I thought it was the second of June…."

Judy shut her eyes hard as she attempted to bite back her emotions. She so badly wanted to tell Nick everything that had happened. Judy wanted nothing more than to fill in all the blanks, but she couldn't bring herself to say anything. Instead, she began to cry.

So the pair sat, wrapped around each other, taking comfort in their fleeting consciousness. After a while, Nick began to relax as he attempted to make peace with his predicament. Returning his paw to its duty of petting Judy's ears, Nick spoke up again; "So… did Guns 'N' Rodents get back together while I was gone?"

"You weren't gone," giggled Judy at Nick's joke "and no; Axil Rose still won't tour with the rest of the band."

Nick snapped his fingers together in mock disappointment, prompting another giggle from Judy. "Well… did we… you know…" Nick caught Judy's confused look as he continued; "Did we do _it_ at all?"

"Nick!" Judy laughed, with more than a hint of sadness. "Now's _not_ the time to be asking that…" The pair shared a healthy chuckle before Judy continued; "but yes…"

"Nice…" Nick whispered to himself, prompting a punch to the arm. "Daww!" Nick threw his paws up in frustrated disappointment.

"What's wrong?" Judy sat up in Nick's lap, shooting him a concerned gaze.

"I just remembered that I can't remember us boinkin', because I've got amnesia!" Nick had a surprisingly legitimate frown on his face, which prompted Judy to laugh at him. "Don't laugh at me, I'm a victim!" Judy threw a paw over her muzzle in an attempt to stem the first laughs she had had in a week. "This sucks; having amnesia sucks, I want my money back." Nick crossed his arms as he glared at Judy, whom still shook with stifled laughter.

Finally smiling, Nick leaned forward to plant a kiss on Judy's forehead, but caught himself as Judy lifted her muzzle to intercept the kiss. Nick shot Judy a surprised look as he recoiled, prompting Judy to wilt in sadness. Confusion danced across Nick's battered brain as he attempted to puzzle together what had just happened.

"I'm sorry…" mumbled Judy, realizing that Nick and her now existed in two separate phases of their own relationship.

"No, no, no…" said Nick, lifting Judy's gaze to his own once more " _I'm_ sorry… I'm a hot-mess, Carrots. You don't have to be sorry about anything." Nick gave Judy a quick Peck on the muzzle, which was not nearly enough for the rabbit.

Judy forced a reassuring smile anyways.

"My brain hurts…" said Nick, massaging his closed eye-lids. "I'm gonna lay back down, care to join me?"

Climbing off the floor, the pair intertwined paws and stumbled back into the darkness of Nick's bedroom. Sliding into bed together, Judy fell asleep in Nick's arms for the first time in too long.

The second week had passed, and Nick was all but recovered. A trip to the doctor and an x-ray showed that Nick's ribs were mostly mended; only displaying calcified fractures. His stitches had been removed, and Nick was prescribed a pressure dressing to wrap about his torso to help protect and conform his ribs. As for Nick's brain; not much had returned, and Nick remained forgetful and poorly focused.

Nick had asked Judy for his missing memories, but the damaged rabbit could not bring herself to fill in her fiancé. When asked about the trip to Bunny Burrows, Judy told him that they had skipped it. When asked about the case, Judy simply informed Nick that they had solved it. Nick knew better than to take the explanations at face value; however he also knew better than to pry at his girlfriend.

"I don't feel like a detective…" said Nick to Judy. The pair lay side by side on the floor of the living room, and counted the dots on the ceiling, while a radio played in the background.

"Well you are," replied Judy, squeezing his paw for emphasis. "The great fox detective; Nicholas Wilde!"

"I don't feel like I earned it, though…" Nick frowned at the ceiling as he spoke.

"But you did," replied Judy, rolling onto her side to look at her fiancé.

"That's what you keep saying," replied Nick to his girlfriend. "But it's like…" Nick rolled onto his side as he attempted to formulate a comparison. "It would be like if you were a little bunny, and you woke up one day and everybody wanted to congratulate you on achieving your dream of being a cop… you get what I'm saying?"

Judy's smile faded to a frown as she began to imagine how Nick must feel.

"It's the journey, not the destination…" Nick continued to reason before trailing off.

Nick's ears flicked towards the radio as he caught a familiar tone. Crumpling up his face as he focused, Nick's brain roared to life as he searched for where the song came from.

"This song…" mumbled Nick, prompting Judy's attention to shift. "I think… I think it used to be my 'jam'" a thin smile attempted to creep across Nick's muzzle as he continued to listen.

Judy's eyes lit up with hope as she instantly recognized the song. Turning to look at Nick, she could see that he was on the precipice of remembering. "Come on, how can you forget 'your _jam_ '" teased Judy, all the while saying a silently prayer as Nick teetered on the edge of memory.

"I have jam-nesia," snapped Nick dismissively, prompting an excited giggle from Judy. The gears of Nick's brain ground against each other as they attempted to turn. A sharp pain rolled across his brain and Nick admitted defeat. Laying back, flat on the ground, Nick exhaled deeply before saying; "I got nothing…"

Judy's heart sank, and she felt herself fill with emotion. Feeling the unstoppable plummet, Judy decided to hide before Nick could see her distress. "I'm gonna go shower," Judy all but yelled as she scrambled up off the floor and made a mad-dash to the bathroom. Before Nick could even reply, the bathroom door slammed and locked.

Returning his attention to the ceiling, Nick's ears flicked about as the white noise of the shower's faucet mingled with the bouncy tones of the nameless song.

Closing his eyes for a moment, Nick let the nameless tune carry him as he tapped a single digit on the floor; matching the bouncing synth tones. Neon danced behind Nick's eyelids, as he descended the street-level. With a gasp, Nick's eyes snapped open.

Stumbling, Nick found himself being led by the paw through a crowd of midnight mammals. Looking to his guide, Nick smiled Just in time to see Judy slip his grasp and disappear into the crowd.

"Carrots!" Nick shouted as he lost sight of Judy in the sea of mammals. "Come back!" Nick ducked and wove about the legs of larger mammals as he attempted to follow the distracted rabbit. Catching fleeting glimpses of Judy's wonder, Nick fought the rolling tide of bodies. Breaking away from the current, Nick finally caught sight of Judy standing in front of a massive tree.

Jogging up to Judy, Nick caught her wrist mid grab; stopping her paw inches away from an inviting white orchid. However, Nick's attention shifted from the orchid to Judy's finger, where a gorgeous silver band and diamond lived.

"What's this?" whispered Nick at the ring.

"That's a Siren's Orchid, Carrots. They're good luck, but kind of dangerous…" came Nick's voice from Judy's mouth.

"Judy," Nick turned the rabbit to face him as he pointed to the ring on her finger. "Who's ring is this?"

"They're a powerful narcotic…" explained Judy in Nick's voice once again. "And an even stronger aphrodisiac."

Nick's face crumpled in confusion as his attention jumped from the Siren's Orchid, to the ring, to Judy and back to the ring. Nick's brain kicked into overdrive as it attempted to pull up more information. Shaking away the pain from between his ears, Nick locked Judy's violet eyes.

"Is this an engagement ring?" Judy's eyes lit up at the question, before vanishing from Nick's mind's eye.

*VRRRRRRR*

Judy's phone danced across the floor next to Nick. Nick looked at it, as he realized that it must have fallen out of Judy's pocket while they were lying on the floor next to each other. Answering the Phone, Nick was greeted by Chief Bogo's voice.

"Officer Hopps!" the buffalo sounded absolutely exhausted.

"Chief, It's Wilde; what can I do you for?" asked Nick, climbing to his feet. Listening with his free ear, Nick could hear the shower still running.

"Officer Wilde, get officer Hopps on the line; we've had a mass abductions from the heart of Rodentia…"

 **Oh hot-diggity!**

Did you just read another whole... Wait... What's my line again? Anyone remember? Umm, well... I g-guess that you can leave comments, I think? O-Or you could s-subscribe? God my head hurts... Where am I?

-Enjoy the next chapter!


	7. Chapter 7

**Dear reader,**

Welcome back! There has been some debate over Nick's amnesia in between chapters. And while I normally prefer to let the story answer all questions, I will simply confirm that Nick's memories have not returned. Moreover, as far as Nick is aware; he could very easily perceive his memories and flashbacks as fleeting day-dream.

-Enjoy

Nick tapped the red icon with a padded thumb; ending the phone call. A squad car would be at his house to pick the two detectives up in thirty minutes.

Making his way over to the occupied bathroom, Nick tried the doorknob and found that it was still locked. "Hay, Carrots!" Nick winced as his shout sent pain rolling deep into his skull. Clearing his throat, Nick continued; "Bogo just called, and he-"

"What?" came Judy's voice; muffled by the door and drowned out by the still-running shower.

"Bogo called…" Nick's head split in pain as he attempted to raise his voice. "A-And he said-"

"Hold on…" Judy interrupted Nick once more, prompting him to scowl at the door. Nick could hear Judy rustling the shower curtain, before the door unlocked with a click.

Exhaling hard in exasperation, Nick walked into the tiny bathroom and closed the door behind himself. Dropping his towel on the floor as he rubbed sleep from his eyes, Nick stepped into the still running shower.

"Oh," said Nick as he finally opened his eyes, catching a full view of Judy attempting to cover her indecencies. "Taking a shower?"

Judy stood, frozen in shocked silence, as Nick matter-of-factly grabbed the still sudsy bar of soap from her guarding paw and began to rub it on himself.

Nick smiled groggily at his shocked Fiancé. Giving a quick peck to and squeezing past the still frozen rabbit, into the showers hot stream, Nick chuckled at Judy's deep-red blush.

"Nick," asked Judy in a mixture of shock and embarrassment. "You said something?"

"I'm showering," replied Nick as Judy turned about to face him. "What's it look like, you big dumb bunny?"

"Nick?" Came Judy's voice with slightly more worry. Snapping her fingers in an attempt to grab his attention, Judy watched as Nick stood frozen in the doorway of the bathroom. "Nick!"

"Oh!" said Nick, as lightning struck behind his eyes. Massaging away the pain, Nick began to relay his message; "Chief called; he said there's been a mass abduction from… Rodentia? Anyways, they're sending over a squad car to pick us up in thirty."

Judy, whose head was the only thing to poke out from behind the shower curtain, wilted at the news. "Oh-no…" mumbled Judy as she realized the implications of the abductions. Returning to the shower, Judy quickly turned off the water and hopped out to dry off.

"Whoa!" said Nick as he caught sight of Judy's unguarded naked form, still soaking wet from the shower. "I'll leave you to it," joked Nick as he averted his eyes and left the bathroom.

Judy stood, naked and silent, as she looked to the closed door where Nick had just stood. She wondered if their relationship had really become that much more familiar in the past two months.

In a flurry of blue, the pair had changed into their respective duty uniforms. Judy felt weird seeing Nick in uniform for the first time since his accident. The only reminder of Nick's trauma was the ace-wrap bandage, which Judy had helped Nick wrap about his torso, and the bald patch on his chest which the doctors had shaved for his stitches. Feeling Nick's embarrassment at the aftermath of his wound; Judy planted a kiss on his warm exposed skin before covering it with the pressure-dressing. Judy watched somberly as the amnesiac fox hummed happily, straitening his badge in the mirror. Nick was blissfully unaware of his own lost memories. Moving from Nick's apartment up to street-level, Judy watched Nick curiously as he fought with the cord of his radio.

"Carrots," Nick groaned to his partner. "How come I have to carry this heavy piece of police-junk?"

Judy's expression sank as she recalled his verbatim complaint; two weeks prior.

Taking a break from his fight with the radio, Nick caught Judy's sad expression. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Judy replied, forcing a smile as she rested her paw on her chest. Her engagement ring, which now lived around her neck, felt very heavy under Nick's caring gaze.

Cutting their exchange short; a police SUV screeched to a halt in front of the detective duo. The passenger side window slid down and a female tiger called out to Nick and Judy; "I heard there were two detectives that needed a lift," The tigress smiled at the duo as she continued; "you two wouldn't happen to know where they're at now; would you?"

Judy laughed at Officer Delgado's teasing as she opened the back door of the squad-car to get in. Meanwhile, Nick's ears pinned down in disappointment at being called detective.

After the duo were safely in the back of the SUV, Delgado punched the gas and speed away through traffic. "It's good to see you're back at it, Detective Wilde" said the tigress, adjusting the rear-view mirror so that she could better look at the miniature duo in her back seat. "Last time I saw you, you weren't looking too hot."

Nick nervously smiled at the friendly tiger, before being struck by realization. "Oh!" Nick said as he turned his attention to his partner. "The case; you've gotta fill me in if I'm gonna be _any_ help, Carrots…"

Delgado's eyes widened at Judy as if to say; "You didn't tell him?" before she turned the rear-view mirror back to the road, shaking her head as she drove.

Judy swam with emotion as her guilt returned with a vengeance. Deep down, Judy still blamed herself entirely for what had happened. After all, it was Nick whom had warned her and tried to stop her multiple times that night.

"Forty-three?" choked Nick halfway through Judy's explanation. "I just wanted to make sure I hadn't misheard you, or that my brain-damage wasn't getting the best of me…" Nick marveled at the number with a visceral mixture of amazement and shock.

Nick continued to listen to Judy's bare-bones rundown of their first stab at the case. Trying his best to take mental notes, Nick was blissfully unaware that Judy had skipped over their visit to the Double D and Rocket's lair. Judy's heart swam with negativity and guilt as she finished their story, and thanked the heavens that the squad-car had arrived at the precinct.

Stepping out of the police-cruiser, Nick and Judy found themselves in a lightning storm of flash-bulbs. Nick recoiled at the assaulting thunderous crowd of reporters, as Judy noticed the passenger side-window of the patrol-car sliding down.

"The Press is here about your case," yelled the tigress from her post inside the car. "Welcome back!" Delgado peeled out, prompting an angry glare from the rabbit as she was swallowed by the reporters.

Turning around, Judy caught Nick crumbling under the pressure of a million microphones and shouted questions. Pushing forward, Judy grabbed Nick by the paw and made to drag him into the police precinct.

"No comment," shouted Judy to every would-be reporter. Nick simply shielded his eyes with a raised paw as his head threatened to split from the pressure within.

Breaking through the blockade and into the police precinct, Judy turned her attention to Nick. "You okay, Nicky?" asked Judy with palpable concern.

"Yeah," Nick replied, shaking the pain out of his brain. "A little epileptic seizure never hurt anyone…"

The duo stiffened at a shrill squeal destroyed their ear-drums. Clawhauser looked as though he may burst from excitement at seeing the duo reunited for the first time in too long. "You're back!" yelled the excited cheetah, prompting a death glare from Judy. Clawhauser slapped his paws to his mouth as he realized his volume. "You're back!" repeated the excited cat in a near whisper, prompting a chuckle from Nick.

"It's good to be back, big-catz" replied Nick, smiling as he moved in on the desk. "What's with the paparazzi?"

"Haven't you heard?" replied the receptionist with an exaggerated gasp. "The whole cities in a panic over the new abductions; sixty-four rodents taken in broad-day."

Both Nick and Judy froze solid, as they ran mental calculations. Over one hundred rodents were now missing, presumably dead. Cupping a paw to her mouth, Judy was absolutely speechless.

"I chose a hell of a time to come back…" mumbled Nick to no one in particular.

"You two need to go see the chief, like… _now!_ " said Clawhauser, with more than a hint of urgency.

Running as fast as they could, Nick and Judy made their way through the police station up to the top floor, where the chief's office resided. Without knocking, the detective duo burst into Bogo's office; a deadly mistake.

"Hopps!" bellowed the Cape Buffalo, prompting Nick to cuff both of his ears in pain. "I swear you two are one phone call from city hall away from having those shiny new badges taken away!" the Chief Of Police pointed with a sharp hoof at the detective duo's respective badges. Seemingly noticing Nick's presence for the first time, Chief Bogo turned his attention to the fox. "Detective Wilde," said the Cape Buffalo with a shockingly soft tone. "I feel like a broken record with you two coming back from the Burrows, but welcome back."

Nick smiled politely and opened his mouth to reply, but was stopped by the realization of what Bogo had said. Judy had informed Nick that they had skipped their trip to meet her family; but Nick couldn't help but wonder why Judy would lie about something so trivial.

"The Burrows?" asked Nick, shifting his attention to his partner.

"You probably don't remember it well, but we had a similar conversation after your weekend sabbatical in Bunny Burrows." The imposing mammal paused to massage his closed eyelids in exasperation, and missed the confused and accusing glare that Nick shot Judy. "Speaking of not remembering," continued Bogo "are you sure you're ready to return to duty, Detective? The doctors said you were not to return any sooner than _three_ weeks after your accident."

"Far be it for me to listen to some quack," chuckled Nick as he batted a paw at the air. "Besides, we all know who's the…" Nick's mind went blank as he searched for a word that did not exist in his battered-brain.

"Detective Wilde," asked Bogo, raising an eyebrow at Nick's confusion "were you going to insinuate that you are the 'brains' of Judy and Yours partnership?"

"That one!" replied Nick, snapping his fingers and pointing up at the unamused mammal. "We all know who's the brain of this operation!" Nick elbowed Judy lightheartedly as he smiled up at the concerned Chief Of Police.

Judy plastered a worried smile as Nick entirely dismissed the fact that he could not recall such a simple word. Perhaps, she thought, Nick was not as healed as he seemed.

Chief Bogo's eyes shifted back and forth between the two miniature detectives as he weighed his options. The large mammal cleared his throat before continuing; "Unfortunately, because of the dire circumstance, I've had to contact federal investigators… They will be taking the case from here."

Judy's composure all but collapsed as her shot at redemption was crushed. "But, chief…" Judy pleaded earning her a stern glare from Bogo, and a lofted single digit.

"Federal deputies are on their way, right now, to relieve the ZPD of its investigation of the missing mammal/homicide cases" the massive police mammal announced, crushing Judy's protest. "However," Judy's ears perked up as she caught a faint smile on the chiefs iron muzzle "said deputies will not be arriving for another six hours…"

Judy all but jumped with excitement at the implications. Nick looked entirely lost.

Bogo continued; "Until such time, you two are still the leads on this case. Since bail hasn't been posted for either of your suspects, we still have our nameless royal and his giggling sociopath in custody. If I were you two, I'd start there."

"Oh, thank you chief!" cried Judy with excitement. Grabbing Nick by the paw, Judy made to leave the Chief's office before being stopped by the Buffalo's gruff tone.

"Six. Hours. Detectives…" the Chief added deadly emphasis as he spoke. "Six hours, and then I want you two in my office to hand over _all_ of your work to the federal deputies. Are we clear?"

"Yes sir" replied Nick and Judy in near unison, offering chief Bogo sharp salutes.

Returning their gestures, the intimidating mammal wished the duo good luck, and dismissed them for duty.

On their way to the interrogation room, Nick questioned Judy about their trip to Bunny Burrows, and her motivation for lying to him. Questions turned to accusations and by the time the duo reached their target, they were in a full-blown argument. Yelling at each other from behind the one way mirror, the Hyena sat as an oddly appropriate back-drop to the duo's fight.

"If it wasn't important, Judy" Nick growled, the pain in his head feeding his frustration. "Then _WHY_ would you _LIE_ about it!"

"I didn't!" yelled Judy, on the brink of tears.

" _YOU DID!_ " barked Nick, spurring lighting to roll across his brain. "You didn't keep it a secret from me, you didn't only half tell me, you _LIED_ to me! You told me that we _didn't_ go to Bunny Burrows, Judy! WHY?"

"You're being childish!" yelled Judy, throwing her paws up in exasperation. "What does it matter? It's just a stupid trip that you'll _never remember_!" Tears began to flow as Judy's professionalism slipped.

"That's not the point!" Nick seethed, crushing his paws into his forehead in an attempt to quell the storm in his head. "It matters, Judy, because when you accepted _that ring_ it meant that we trusted each other and that-"

"What ring?" sniveled Judy, interrupting Nick's tirade.

Pulling his paws away from his face, Nick's confused expression met Judy's expression of hope. Nick opened and closed his mouth several time in an attempt to speak, but no sound came out. Judy could all but hear the gears grinding in Nick's brain.

"Nick…" Judy took one of Nick's paws in her own as she repeated herself, praying for memory to strike. "What ring?"

Nick's eyes darted from Judy's vacant paws, which encircled his own, and back to her eyes, making laps between the two. "I…" Nick stuttered "I… I don't know, Carrots."

The hope flickered out from behind Judy's eyes, and she wrapped Nick in a defeated hug. A soft frustrated cry escaped the gray rabbit as she buried her face in Nick's chest.

Nick slowly returned the embrace as the lightning storm in his mind subsided. Stroking the distressed rabbit's long gray ears, Nick mumbled to himself; "I don't know…"

The pair stood for a second, wrapped in each other, in a silent and unprofessional embrace. Finally separating; Judy pulled back to realize she had left two tear-stains on Nick's crisp-blue uniform.

"Aw, shoot" Judy said, prompting Nick to check his own shirt. "I messed-up your uniform."

"Don't even worry about it, Fluff" said Nick with a reassuring smile. Turning his attention to the lightly giggling maniac, which sat on the other side of the glass, Nick changed the subject; "So what's the story on big-shoots here?"

"He," said Judy, turning to look in on the striped hyena "is actually the mammal that… ah… scrambled your noggin…" Judy smiled sheepishly up at Nick, not sure of how tender the topic might be.

"Really?" said Nick with a tone that resembled amusement. "I'd say I thought he was gonna be taller, but in all honestly that's a mountain of an animal."

Judy giggled slightly at Nick's genuine amusement at the criminal.

"You can keep blaming yourself, carrots," Nick joked, marveling at the striped honor-guard. "But I think this guy proves _my_ point."

Judy turned a look of confusion on Nick as she asked; "what point?"

"That _this_ ," Nick tapped one of his temples for emphasis "is not your fault. I'm pretty sure the only animal here that needs to stop blaming you is you."

Judy blushed a little as she returned her attention to the window. She wondered how Nick always managed to find the perfect this to say.

"So what's he know?" asked Nick, returning the topic to its original course.

Judy shrugged her shoulders and blew a raspberry, prompting Nick to chuckle.

"That much, eh?" said Nick, still laughing to himself at Judy's response.

"He's a tough nut to crack," assured Judy. "We couldn't even get a _name_ out of him."

"Really?" Nick almost looked impressed as he turned to face Judy. "Those hyenas, they're on a whole other level… but I think I've got a plan to crack this…" Nick's expression went blank as he searched for the right word.

"Nut…" Judy face pawed as she finished Nick's sentence; "crack this nut."

Nick snapped his fingers and pointed; "That one!"

 **Oh hot-diggity!**

Did you just read the whole chapter? Did you enjoy it? If you did, then read another! But before you go, please be sure to write a review, leave a favorite, or make a suggestion. I do this for me, but also for you guy. So please, give me your thought.

-Enjoy the next chapter!


	8. Chapter 8

**Dear reader,**

I've got nothing...

-Enjoy

"Well if it isn't the Fantastic Mister Fox! Ha! How's your head?" The striped honor-hound smiled excitedly at Nick as he made his way through the interrogation room.

The interrogation chamber had obviously been constructed for much larger animals than bunnies and foxes. A massive metal table, which was bolted to the floor, capitalized the center of the room and was framed by two identical metal chairs on either side. A one-way mirror occupied the wall across from the striped criminal, and allowed for anonymous observation. Adorned in a numbered grey ZPD jumpsuit; the hyena sat, paw-cuffed to a metal bar which skirted the edge of the table.

Nick climbed up into one of the matching chairs to look over the table at the hulking mammal. Sipping coffee, and leaning lazily against the back of the chair, Nick addressed the giggling criminal; "My partner tells me that you're responsible for my occasional bouts of Priapism that we've been enjoying…" Nick sipped his coffee as he watched the hyena's excited muzzle contort into a disturbed frown, snuffing out his laughter completely. "Good stuff, really… if I do say so myself." Nick nodded his head and gave the hyena a subtle thumbs-up for added emphasis.

"This is supposed to be a good-cop bad-cop thing… isn't it" said the hyena flatly. "And I suppose that makes you… bad-cop?"

"Oh-no," chuckled Nick patting his ribs with his free paw "I'm still a little laid-up right now after our last encounter. And besides, bad-cop is more her thing…"

A phone book flew into the interrogation room and impacted the side of the Hyena's head before landing on the massive metal table with a thud, prompting a wave of giggles from the cuffed predator. Judy Hopps bounded into the room before landing on the table with a metallic thump which was much too loud for how much the rabbit weighed. Charging the striped prisoner, Judy grabbed the hyena by the collar, and glared menacingly into his excited eyes.

"I swear to _GOD_!" yelled Judy into the trapped predators face, "you're going to tell me _who's_ stealing my rodents, even if it's the last thing I do on the force!"

The hyena laughed and clapped his cuffed paws in excitement at the assailing rabbit. "You're not gonna hurt me, you're a _COP!_ " The hyena spat between giggles, prompting Judy to throw the massive mammal backwards into his seat.

"Firstly," Judy said holding a single digit up for emphasis "I'm not a _cop_ … I'm a detective." Judy sucked air past her flat teeth as her ears folded back in anger. "And secondly… I ain't even a detective right now…" Judy pulled her badge from her uniform and threw it over her shoulder at Nick.

Coolly, Nick snatched the badge out of the air with his free paw, and placed the voided symbol in his pocket. Nick hid his amusement behind his coffee cup as he took another sip.

"Now are you going to tell me who's abducting my rodents…" seethed Judy as she retrieved the massive phone-book from its resting-spot on the table. "Or are the Rainforest-District and I going to have to knock those pearly-white teeth down your throat?"

The hyena's eyes grew wide with excitement as Judy leveled the imposing phone-book with the criminal's chin. Observing the weapon, which was nearly half the size of the furious bunny whom wielded it, the honor-hound replied with a simple excited smile.

"You little!" yelled Judy as she wound up for her grand-slam into the side of the problematic hyena's skull. A primal roar escaped her compact form as the monstrous book careened towards its target.

"Wait!" came Nick's calm voice, stopping Judy mid assault.

One of the hyena's clenched-shut eyes peaked open, noting that Judy's book had stopped meager inches short of destroying his skull.

"We're wasting out time with this…" Nick waved his free paw at the hyena as he searched for the words. "This nameless… _thug_."

"I am _not_ a nameless _thug_..." growled the hyena with indignation.

"Oh yeah?" questioned Nick with an egging tone of complete sarcasm "what's your name then, sweetheart?"

"My name…" the hyena puffed his chest up in pride, and spoke without the slightest hint of laughter or humor "is So-Shen Lightning… and I am no _thug_..."

Judy took a step back, lowering the phone-book to her side as she listened to the Striped Hyena.

"I am a member of th-" the hyena was interrupted as Nick took a loud slurping sip from his coffee.

The hyena continued; "a member of the Three-Storms; an elite squa-" *Slurp*

The hyena paused, mouth open mid-sentence, before repeating himself "an elite squad of three, whom are assi-" *Slurp*

"Whom are assigned to the royal FAMILY" *SLUURP*

"THE ROYAL FAMILY OF SHANG HI'ENA AN-" *SLUUUUUURP*

A snicker escaped Judy, prompting her to cover her mouth.

"AND WE SERVE LO-PAN!"

The infuriated predator now panted with the frustration of attempting to speak over Nick's coffee. Nick nodded his head in acknowledgement "hmmm… I burnt my tongue." The hyena flexed and pulled against his cuffs as he attempted to throw up his paws in frustration.

"Grab your book, carrots" said Nick turning his half-lidded attention to Judy as he readied himself to hop out of his chair. "I'll bet you money we'll get better information out of Lo-Pan's brain-dead-royal hide."

"Ha!" the hyena barked at the detective duo. "You think that… _peasant_ is Lo-Pan? That _pauper_ was merely a mouth-piece, a test-run for Lo-Pan's glorious machine!"

Nick raised an incredulous eye-brow at the now smug hyena. "What machine?"

"Wouldn't you like to know!" laughed the hyena at Nick's question.

"See what I mean, carrots?" Nick shook his head in disappointment at the honor-guard. "Grab the book, we're leaving…" Nick gave Judy back her badge as he spoke, prompting the hyena to sink back into his own chair. "Laughing moron, like they'd trust him with anything important" Nick mumbled the last part under his breath, just loud enough for the hyena to hear.

"Lo-Pan tells me _everything_!" barked the hyena, clearly hurt by Nick's remark.

"Shure he does…" mocked Nick.

" _She_ , tells me everything!" the hyena repeated himself, shifting forward as he spoke. The criminal was dead-set on proving Nick wrong. "Her machine is some sort of controller; it allows her to project into and control targets. When you tazed that _peasant_ , you shorted out her connection!"

"I don't believe you," said Nick in a near childish tone, folding his arms at the hyena.

"Then go see for yourself, there's a secret entrance in the machine-room." The hyena now smiled smugly at Nick, certain he had proved the detective wrong.

"Have it your way," said Nick, shrugging his shoulders in mock defeat.

Hopping off the chair, Nick made to leave the interrogation room with his partner. As the door closed behind them, they caught the faint sound of giggles returning to the captive hyena.

"Well I'll be," said Judy tossing the phone book to the side as they made their way through the police precinct "Detective Wilde; master interrogator."

Nick shrugged as Judy smiled up at him "I told you, fluff; Bad-Cop Incredulous-Cop works _every_ time…" Nick held out his free paw as the duo walked side-by-side "Now pay up."

Judy groaned at Nick as she fished out her wallet to pay the embarrassing wager. Signing the one-dollar bill; "Nick was right, again –Judy" the bill was begrudgingly given to the victor of their bet.

On their way past the front desk, Nick made a pit-stop. "Oh Clawhauser," Nick sang, grabbing the large-cat's attention. "I've got another one for the betting-board." Nick waved the signed note excitedly, prompting Judy to face-paw.

"Oh bunny…" Clawhauser made a mock pouting face at the embarrassed rabbit. "When _are_ you ever going to learn?"

"Probably never," laughed Nick as he guarded for Judy's incoming strike, which knocked the wind out of him. "Ribs…" coughed Nick, prompting Judy to recoil as she realized what she had done.

"I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry," said Judy as she tended to the fox, whom was now doubled over. "I forgot about your ribs; are you okay, Nick?"

"I'm fine…" wheezed Nick as his breath began to return. "Be a doll… and give this to Clawhauser" Nick held up the signed note, prompting Judy's sympathy to all but fail her.

Taking the bill from Nick, Judy slapped it on the counter and shot the concerned cheetah a death-glare.

"I'll put it on the score-board," mumbled Clawhauser, as he took the bill and left for the break-room.

Nick, having finally caught his breath stood strait again. "Come on Carrots, we've got a case to close."

In a whirlwind of sirens and screeching tires, the duo had arrived at the underground. In stark contrast to Judy's first visit, the pair ran through the subway stile entrance to the throat of the under-city. Standing quietly in the intermediate room, Judy took hold of Nick's paw as the sterile white light dimmed to the near-perfect night, which was trademark of the district. However, the scene which greeted the rabbit-fox couple was somehow even livelier than their first trip to the underground.

Standing in odd contrast to the hordes of partying animals, the two uniformed mammals began to push through the crowd. Judy led Nick by the paw, as he looked about the subterranean wonderland with an excited smile. As she fought through the crowd, it quickly became apparent that they had stumbled into some sort of "out-door" live concert.

The overpowering atmosphere of cheering died down just long enough for Judy to look back at Nick excitedly craning his neck to get a look of the center stage, dangerously distracted.

"Nick," Judy tugged on her partner's paw in an attempt to grab his attention. "We've go-" however, Judy was drowned out as the velvety chords of a bass guitar all but ruptured her eardrums. In a curious juxtaposition to their first trip, Nick slipped the escorting rabbit's grasp and wove his way towards the stage.

Judy's frustrated and worried yelling was entirely drowned out by the roar of the crowd and the blasting rock music, as she lost Nick in the sea of midnight-animals. Nick had been absentminded and easily distracted since his injury, and Judy worried that she might not find him in the mass of dancing mammals. Making her way closer to the stage, where consecutively shorter and shorter groups of animals watched and danced, Judy caught sight of a pair of raised red paws with a blue uniform; clapping along with the crowd above their head.

"Nick!" yelled Judy grabbing Nick by the chord of his radio and spinning him around. Nick's expression was near childish as he locked Judy's violet gaze. Concern met excitement as Nick leaned in and gave the rabbit a deep kiss.

"Bunny Bunny, 1981, Billy-Goat Idol; I haven't heard this song in ages!" Nick yelled over the blaring music, entirely unaware of the concerned look he was receiving from Judy. "Can you believe this guy still performs? He's like sixty years old now!" Nick gestured towards the aged Billy-Goat on stage. Returning his attention to Judy, Nick finally recognized the worry which danced behind her deep-purple eyes. "What's wrong, Carrots?"

"Are you okay, Nick?" yelled Judy as the song moved into a slightly quieter solo which afforded them the ability to talk.

"Yeah, why?" asked Nick cocking his head to the side in confusion.

"Then what are we doing down here?" asked Judy crossing her arms at Nick in a guarded mixture of worry and frustration.

"We're…" Nick fought desperately with his own battered brain as he tried to remember why they had come to the underground. "We're here… to…" Painful bolts of lightning struck Nick's brain as he fought for memory. Sifting through the wreckage of his own thoughts, it was Judy who spoke first.

"Come on," Judy grabbed Nick by the paw and drug the confused fox out of the crowd. Making their way through the streets, Judy only stopped once the duo had made it a fair distance away from the blaring stage music to where the crowds had all but died off.

"Nick, I need you…" Judy whispered to the recovering Fox, taking Nick's paws in her own. "But if you can't focus, I'm not going to put you in danger and risk losing even more of you."

Nick swallowed hard as he caught the tears which fought to escape the edges of Judy's caring eyes. "I'm fine, trust me Carrots."

"Are you?" asked Judy, cutting down Nick's reassuring smile with a prying gaze. "Because you don't seem like it. I'm not trying to be mean; but the doctors said you should still be on med-leave, and I'm beginning to think they may have been right."

Nick opened his mouth to interject, but was talked over by Judy; "I want you to get better, and I wish that you currently _were_ better, but if you're not ok… Then I don't want you to try and help me… I can't be responsible for you getting hurt again."

Nick's heart broke as Judy turned away from him. Setting his Jaw, Nick spoke; "Carrots, you need to stop blaming yourself for accidents which are beyond your control. I am _getting_ better, but trying to avoid me, keeping secrets from me, and lying to me is not going to help me recover any faster. We've only got four hours left on the case, and there's a lot more at stake here that just you or me. Okay?"

Judy stood quietly, unable to turn and face her fiancé.

"Okay?" repeated Nick, more tersely than he meant to.

Judy's shoulders hitched as a single cry escaped her.

Nick's shoulders dropped in defeat as he realized that his girlfriend was crying. "Come here," Nick grabbed Judy by the shoulders and spun her around to face him before pulling her into a hug. "I know I'm a mess, but you're just gonna have to realize you're stuck with me."

A chuckle escaped Judy as she began to regain her composure. "Once this case is over…" Judy sniffled; "you wanna go on a vacation?"

"One I'll never forget?" joked Nick.

"Mm-hm," mumbled Judy affirmatively into Nick's chest.

"Sounds like a plan to me…" the pair stood, wrapped in each other listening to the distant thump of the concert's bass.

"I'll love you later, carrots" spoke Nick, breaking their embrace. "But first, we gotta close this case."

With no further delay, the duo began to run down the deserted streets of old-town. Nick followed Judy as they wove through and around deserted warehouses and apartment complexes. Making their way down a destroyed hallway, Nick's breath caught as they entered a room which was choked by an electrical jungle of strange humming machines.

"I s'pose this is what Chuckle-Head meant by 'Machine Room'" said Nick, amazement thick in his voice.

Searching the large chamber for signs of the supposed secret door; the duo searched high and low. Singing to himself as he looked, it was Nick who found the first clue.

"Hay, Carrots" Nick shouted, waving his partner to him. "Check this out."

Looking to where Nick was pointing, Judy caught sight of two large gouges in the exposed concrete floor which populated the center of the room. Following the offending tracks, Nick and Judy were lead to an exposed concrete wall, where the tracks ended abruptly. Pressing a sensitive ear to its surface, Judy wrapped her claws on the wall and listened.

* **CLANG** *

The deafening sound launched both detectives backwards off the wall as they leveled their tazers at the presumed hidden-gateway.

With a pneumatic hiss, the wall split down the middle and slid open. In the secret-door's wake, a lavishly decorated elevator appeared. Holstering their defenses, the detective duo stepped into the elevator. Turning their attention to the control panel, Nick and Judy realized the transport only had one button; down.

"Looks like progress to me" remarked Judy. "Do you mind?"

"By all means," Nick smiled as he moved out the way of the button.

Biting her lower lip in excitement, Judy jabbed the button; prompting it to light up and the doors to close.

 **Oh hot-diggity!**

Did you just read the whole chapter? Did you enjoy it? If you did, then read another! But before you go, please be sure to write a review, leave a favorite, or make a suggestion. I do this for me, but also for you guy. So please, give me your thought.

-Enjoy the next chapter!


	9. Chapter 9

**Dear reader,**

Good morning everyone, and welcome to Big Trouble in Little Rodentia; The Ride! I am you're author, DukePony, and I am here to give you today's safety briefing. Please keep all paws, tails, ears and children on leashes safely inside the vehicle for the duration of the chapter. If at any point during the chapter you feel; uncontrollable sadness, despondence, nausea, anger, or if you experience an erection lasting longer than six hours, we advise you to leave a comment. The story will begin shortly, so please

-Enjoy

" _Here she comes now sayin' Bunny Bunny…_ "

Nick tapped his foot as he sang, keeping pace with the drums and guitar which only played in his head.

" _Shoot 'em down turn around come on Bunny…_ "

Judy pinched the bridge of her nose in exasperation at the singing fox whom stood next to her, a million miles away. Checking her phone's clock, Judy's brow crumpled in confusion.

" _Hey, she gimme love and I feel all right now…_ "

Breaking her one-sided vow of silence, Judy held her phone up for Nick to see as she attempted to pull him back to reality. However, Nick's eyes were sealed shut as the amnesiac fox performed in his own separate world.

" _You gotta toss and turn, and feel all right, yeah I feel all right; I said Yeah…_ "

"Nick?"

" _Yeah…_ "

"Hay, Nick!"

" _Yeah…_ "

" **NICK!** " Judy finally yelled, snapping the fox out of his musical trance.

Nick's glassy eyes focused back in on his surroundings as he was yanked from the stage back to the lavished elevator. Nick turned his attention to Judy, whom still held her phone out for him to look at. Nick shot the rabbit a puzzled look; "Sorry, Carrots. What's up?"

Judy fed Nick a frustrated glare as her foot briefly thumped on the floor of the still descending elevator. "We've been going down in this elevator for five minutes now." Judy returned the phone to her pocket before crossing her arms. "So either we're on the express ride to the center of the earth, or we're stuck."

"Maybe it's an elevator _through_ the center of the earth... all the way to Shang Hi'Ena?" joked Nick, earning him an even angrier glare from Judy. "You try pressing the button again, carrots?"

Nick jabbed the solo button once more, and the pair went rigid as the elevator door slid open. Nick turned a smug smile on the now shocked rabbit; "and you wanted to leave me behind…"

"Shut-up," snapped Judy in embarrassment.

"Hay, I'm just sayin'" Nick teased as he tapped his temple for emphasis.

Stepping out of the lavished elevator, the pair was greeted with the stark contrast of industrial concrete and unfinished wiring. The long concrete hall had several rooms which broke away on its sides. The dingy hall way ended in a T, and was only lit by hanging industrial-lanps, which looked as though they had been added as an afterthought. Each bulb threatened to extinguish as its feed of power flickered and all but failed. Looking about his surroundings, Nick felt a curious wave of Deja-Vu.

"Well if there is a 'machine' down here, carrots" Nick said pointing towards the flickering lighting system "I'd bet my tail that's what's drawing all the power."

Looking about the dismal tunnel, Judy noticed a massive bundle of cables which fed out of a nearby room before running down the hall and disappearing around a corner. Cocking her head to the side in confusion, Judy made her way towards the cable-room.

Returning his attention from the lights, Nick caught sight of Judy's cotton-tail disappearing into one of the rooms. Taking off after his partner, Nick recoiled as his senses were assaulted by what stood in the massive circular chamber.

Firstly, Nick could not escape the smell. Sweat, fear and desperation assaulted his canine nose, prompting Nick to bring a paw to his snout. Nick's ears twisted and flicked about in much the same way as Judy's, as he spun on his heels in an attempt to wrap his mind around what he was seeing and hearing. Hundreds of stationary-wheels lined the inside of the tall circular room's walls. Cables choked the system of turbines as they made their way about the interior of the room like climbing ivy, before feeding into a central junction-box in the center of the chamber. Inside many of the squeaky-ramshackle generators ran the abducted citizens of Rodentia; all in varying stages of exhaustion as they turned their respective power-plants.

"Sweet cheese and crackers…" Judy mumbled to herself. Judy counted exhausted mice, gerbils, shrews and lemmings as she looked about the inside of the generator room.

"Their power has been consumed…" Judy quoted the imperial predator as she finished counting. "They haven't been eating the rodents, Nick; they've been using them to generate power!" Judy turned an excited expression on her partner as she realized the missing rodents were in fact still alive. "There are one hundred and thirteen mammals here; we found them!"

Judy sprung forward and wrapped the still reeling fox in a hug. "But why not just tap into the power grid, why this?" asked Nick, still disgusted at what he was seeing.

"If they plugged into the local grid, the power-company would be able to trace the electrical draw right back to them." Judy explained as she made her way to the miniature sub-station which all the turbines fed into. Flipping open a maintenance hatch on the machine, Judy whistled in awe of the digital display which fed her all of the generator room's information. "And if they're using as much power as this thing says they are; there's no way their draw would go unnoticed…"

Nick Peaked in-between Judy's tall gray ears and gave the digital display a look of shock. "What, are they trying to send a car back to the future? What uses that much power?"

Judy closed the hatch as she turned about to face Nick. "So-Shen must have been telling the truth about the 'machine'"

"Whatever Lo-Pan's 'controller' is; I think it's fair to say she's not using it to just go channel surfing, Carrots." Nick Turned his attention back to the army of exhausted rodent that lined the walls of the chamber. "First thing's first; we've gotta get these animals out of here…"

"Wait," Judy reached out a paw to stop Nick but was too late.

"Alright everyone," Nick cupped his paws to his muzzle as he yelled up at the running rodents. "Union break; everybody stopping running and listen to me!"

No sooner did the army of surprised rodents stop running, did the room fall into a complete black-out. Nick felt Judy's angry glare through the darkness as he realized what had just happened. "Don't say it," mumbled Nick through the darkness.

"Okay, allow me to rephrase; stop running, but keep walking and listen…" yelled the fox into the darkness. Disgruntled groans filled the room as the lights slowly came back on, much dimmer than they were before. "Alright, we are from the ZPD, and we are here to rescue-" Nick cut himself short as his ears twisted towards the door. Both Nick and Judy had caught the sound of distant laughter growing near. "Act casual!" yelled Nick to the imprisoned rodents before ducking into cover behind a massive bundle of cable with Judy.

No sooner had the rabbit fox duo disappeared, did a towering striped hyena burst into the room. This particular guard was not as muscular as the one whom was now in ZPD lock-up. However, he was taller, and moved with a quick precision that seemed to indicate the mammal was capable of great speed.

"WHY ARE YOU ALL WALKING!" bellowed the hyena glaring angrily up at his prisoners. "THIS ISN'T A UNION JOB! YOU DON'T GET PAYED BY THE HOUR! RUN!" The startled army of captives began to run in their respective wheels with a renewed purpose and fear. The hyena laughed to himself; "union jobs… Ha!" as he turned to leave. Stopping in the doorway, the hyena turned about to yell one last message at the power-workers; "THE BOSS IS ABOUT TO FIRE UP THE MACHINE. AND I SWEAR IF YOU SAD-SACKS DROP THE POWER AGAIN; LO-PAN AND I ARE GOING TO HAVE OURSELVES A **FEAST!** " turning on his heels, the hyena barked a laugh and left the chamber.

After waiting a minute for the hyena to move sufficiently down the hall; Nick and Judy crept out of hiding. Nick was welcomed back by angry remarks from the now sprinting rodents. Holding his paws up in an attempt to quell the insults, Nick addressed the power-crew.

"That's my bad, I'm sorry" Nick bowed his head as he spoke. "Let us call the ZPD, and we'll get you guys home shortly. Judy?"

Remembering that her own handheld radio could not communicate from the sub-district, Judy gestured for Nick's larger corded hand-set. Unclipping the piece from his uniform, Nick gave Judy the receiver and boosted the signal strength using the radio-pack which lived on his belt. The duo crossed their fingers as Judy keyed the mic.

*Boop*

The receiver made a solid connection with the ZPD dispatch frequency; which, despite traveling through massive amounts of concrete, only bared small signs of static.

"Break, break, break…" Judy cleared the air-waves of any chatter. "Dispatch, this is Detective Hopps; Come in, over."

The line was silent for an impassible moment. Only static came in, and the duo swapped worried glances. Finally, Clawhauser replied; "Detective Hopps, this is Precinct one Dispatch; what can I do for you today? Over."

The duo let out a sigh of relief, and Nick put an arm around Judy's shoulder, pulling her into his side. Judy continued; "Dispatch, this is Detective Hopps; we have located _all_ of the missing mammals, I say again, we have located all of the missing mammals. Over"

The line was quiet again for an impassable moment before Clawhauser replied, excitement thick in the Cheetah's voice. "Detective Hopps; that is a good copy! We've pulled your location from the radio signal… and we are dispatching back-up and extraction right… now… approximate E.T.A is…" the Line went static.

Nick and Judy's ears flicked towards the junction-box in the center of the room as it began to beep. Hearing the hum of electricity, the duo noticed the lights beginning to flicker as something started to pull massive amounts of power from the room.

"That's not good…" said Judy taking Nick by the paw. "If these guys are as serious about starting 'a new order' as they seem; then we cannot let them use whatever their machine is." The duo left the generator room, and followed the massive bundle of humming cables. Tracing their way down the hallway, the duo hung a right at the T and continued to run alongside the cable as it made several other turns.

Bursting into a massive chamber, Nick and Judy ducked for cover behind a junction box. The room was set up like an auditorium, with Nick and Judy at the top with several electrical condensers and power-boxes, and three figures at the bottom. Cables wove their way down the stairs plugging into and feeding out of a series of mysterious machines. A tall gorgeous female Snow-Leopard stood in the center of the auditorium, making the final adjustments to a control panel. Her two remaining guards, the gaunt male from earlier and an imposing and intimidating female stood ready to throw twin switches. Finishing her preparations, the royal Leopard began to monolog to her guards, reveling in her forthcoming victory.

"For generations, this city has stood as an abomination to the natural order…" the leopard's voice was silky and dripped with venom as she picked up a thin cable which had a strange plug on the end. Prompting a silent gasp from Nick and Judy, the leopard plugged the cable into the underside of her wrist. Looking more closely, the duo realized that a multitude of her spots actually stood as small metal receivers.

"What the…" Judy trailed off in disgust as the leopard continued.

"A cesspit," the leopard spat, fetching another cable "Where prey are _allowed_ to live alongside predators. A disgusting congregation of spineless mammals whom feast on bugs and fish; instead of meat as was intended!" the leopard plugged more cables into herself as the machines around her sprung to life. "This vile experiment in animal behavior has been allowed to exist because of technology… Animals that should rightfully die in each other's climates are kept alive by science alone… They are granted a _disgusting_ half-life as they hide behind their climate walls. A gift of life from the minds of heretics and mad-mammals." The leopard paused for dramatic effect as she turned away from her onlookers. Dropping her ornate-silken robe, the leopard reviled two final bio-synthetic plugs; one at the base of her spine and the other at the base of her skull.

"Today…" the leopard plugged into the base of her spine. "Their technology will be their undoing…" The snow leopard turned around, exposing her full nakedness to all whom looked on.

Lo-Pan's two guards bowed their heads in respect of her decency, However Judy's ears flicked towards Nick as she caught the sound of stretching fabric. A snicker escaped Judy as she elbowed the embarrassed fox. Returning her attention to the stage, Judy realized that the royal-predators ears were also pinned forward, pinpointing the sound of Nick's embarrassment.

 **Oh hot-diggity!**

Did you just read the whole chapter? Did you enjoy it? If you did, then read another! But before you go, please be sure to write a review, leave a favorite, or make a suggestion. I do this for me, but also for you guy. So please, give me your thought.

-Enjoy the next chapter!


	10. Chapter 10

**Dear reader,**

Are you enjoying the weather today? Yes... I know... but I've always personally been a fan of the rain... The story? why yes, it's right down there. Go on now, don't be shy...

-Enjoy

"Come out, come out; where ever you are…" cooed the naked imperial-predator.

Judy shot Nick a deadly serious glance; nodding her intentions to her partner. Springing from their hiding spot, the dual detectives directed their tazers down the auditorium at the offending criminal trio.

"FREEZE, Z.P.D!" bellowed Judy.

Meanwhile, Nick attempted to adjust the offending "tent" in his uniform with his tazer free paw.

"Officer bunny…" chuckled the royal predator, recognizing Judy from their _remote_ standoff weeks earlier. Prompted by Lo-Pan's chuckle; the striped cronies burst into twin fits of giggles.

"But what is this?" asked Lo-Pan, turning her attention to the preoccupied and embarrassed fox. "You dare bring this… traitor, this heretic… this _vile_ creature into my chambers? So _sick_ is the lion that dare lay with the lamb. What mer-"

 ***BANG***

Nick's tazer discharged; hurling positive and negative leads down range at the gloating predator. The ballistic barbs flew at sub-sonic speeds, half-way down the auditorium before pulling tight against their leads and falling harmlessly to the floor. Electricity danced between the twin-plugs for five seconds before leaving the room in jaded silence.

Judy shot Nick a fiery-death-glare at his shortcoming.

"Don't give me that look, carrots" Nick defended, embarrassment thick in the foxes composure. "It's very cold down here."

"I swear, Nicholas" Judy ground her paw into her forehead as she spoke "if you keep shooting off while mammals are talking; we're going to start having problems…"

Nick opened his mouth to comment on Judy's phrasing before the motion at center-stage recaptured his attention. "Hay, drop it!" barked Nick, noticing that the naked leopard had retrieved the final plug from around her feet.

"What?" asked the Leopard from the bottom of the auditorium. Lo-Pan's dual hyenas craned their necks in an attempt to better hear the lofted detectives.

"I-I said: put that down!" yelled Nick, gesturing at Lo-Pan's paw, which held her final plug.

"Can you understand what he's saying?" giggled the female hyena to her gaunt male companion. Shaking his head no, the tall hyena male agreed with his superior.

"We can't hear you," said the imperial leopard, shrugging slightly. "You gotta speak up or something."

Nick shook his head at the situation. "carrots, hold this" Nick passed his spent tazer to Judy before cupping both paws to his snout to better direct his voice. "I said: _FREEZE!_ "

The leopard chuckled at the miniature detective duo; " _Very_ poor choice of words…"

Snapping the final plug into place, the royal criminal collapsed as an electrical shock wave knocked Nick and Judy off their feet.

Sitting back up from his prone position, Nick turned his attention to Judy, and laughed. The electrical storm had charged the duo with static, and Judy's fur now stood on end. Judy's electrified face and paw fur stood in stark contrast to her sleek uniform, and gave her the appearance of a puffy gray cotton-ball stuffed into a too-small suit. Laughter stabbed Nick's damaged ribs, prompting him to clutch his side in humorous pain.

Lunging forward, Judy tackled the distracted fox out of the way of an incoming block of machinery. The massive electrical box sparked and impacted where Nick had just been sitting, leaving behind a trail of electrical bits and smashed concrete as it continued to topple end-over-end. Shifting their attention to the source of the imposing projectile, Nick and Judy's jaws dropped in a swirling mixture of confusion and amazement at what they saw.

The previously nondescript mountain of machinery which stood behind Lo-Pan at center-stage, now rose into the form of an impossibly large mechanical predator. Bellowing an earth-shattering roar, the colossal machine smashed into the ceiling and began to burrow its way towards the surface.

"Mecha-Panther…" gasped Nick, a stupid grin of child-like wonder making its way to his muzzle.

Judy turned an unreadable expression on Nick; "What, no!"

"Look" Nick gestured at the burrowing mechanical predator. "How is that no-"

"Because that's _STUPID_!" Judy interrupted. "There's just… it can't… there's _no way_ this is actually happening!" Judy fought with what she was seeing, almost angry with her level of disbelief.

Nick began to laugh at Judy's fur again, as it clashed comically with her seething disbelief.

"Don't you _dare_ laugh at me, Nicholas P. Wilde!" Judy yelled at the electrified fox, prompting Nick to hold his ribs in pain as he internalized his cackling. Judy continued to fight with herself as Nick tried and failed to collect himself.

"Judy…" said Nick, attempting and failing to regain his composure.

"What!" the rabbit turned a shattered expression on Nick, which threatened to break his reforming façade.

"We need to go," Nick gestured at the massive hole in the ceiling which marked the imposing machine's ascension to street-level.

Looking about the now deserted chamber, Judy noticed that not only had the machine left, but the two guards were gone as well. Lo-Pan's body was also missing; presumably carried away by the guards as they left.

"Are bunnies good climbers?" asked Nick as the electrified duo ran down the auditorium stairs towards where debris now formed a circular gateway to the world above.

"This bunny is," replied Judy, approaching the pool of sunlight and readying herself for the climb.

*POP*

Nick let out a yelp of pain as his fur settled back down from its electrified state. Looking from the re-bar handle which Nick had tried to grab, to the smoking digit he was bringing to his mouth, Judy realized they both had been super-charged with static electricity.

Fetching her metal baton from her utility belt, Judy winced at the massive electrical discharge as it jumped from her tool to a grounded piece of metal. Returning her attention to Nick, she giggled at the singed patch of fur on the underside of his right paw.

As the Duo climbed to street-level, Judy questioned Nick about their situation. "Shouldn't there be the Nocturnal district in-between us and street-level?"

"Not necessarily, Carrots" Nick winced at the pain in his side "If the room was built under a support, or a ventilation strut; we could theoretically *pant* tunnel all the way up to street level without interruption…"

Judy was a fair distance ahead of Nick on the climb. While the bunny's cardio was much better than Nick's, even Judy felt the deep burn of their dangerous climb. "How you holding up down there, Nicky?" Judy looked down as she spoke and quickly regretted her decision after seeing the deadly distance to the bottom.

"Just dandy, Carrots" Nick spat in between pants. "I was tempted to look down, but then I realized the view looking up is _much_ better…"

Judy's ears folded flat at Nick's teasing as she continued to climb.

"You get it, Carrots?" Nick asked, smiling up at Judy's back-side. "Because from down here… I-I've got a great vie-"

"Detective Wilde," Judy fired a death-glare downwards at Nick as she finally reached the lip of street-level. "You'd bet-"

Judy's chiding was cut short as a massive paw caught her wrist as she blindly reached for street level. Hoisted up by her trapped limb; Judy was brought to eye-level with the tall gaunt hyena.

"Back down the rabbit-hole, eh?" laughed the striped honor-hound, before releasing Judy back into the pit.

"Carrots!" Nick yelled as the scene unfolded above him.

However, Judy was too quick. Despite her exhausted and aching muscles, Judy wrapped herself around the outstretched hyena's arm before delivering a powerful kick to his smiling muzzle. Head snapped back from the impact; the tall predator toppled backwards onto ground level.

Tumble-rolling across the prone hyena's chest and face; Judy sprung to her feet, ready to fight.

The hyena kicked his feet upwards, and in a spinning feat of agility landed in a crouched stance, facing the assailing rabbit. The hyena paused briefly to run his flat tongue along the inside of his mouth before spitting out a front-tooth which Judy had kicked in.

"You're much squishier than your friend," antagonized Judy, trying her best to slow her breathing and keep her muscles from shaking.

The infuriated predator lunged at Judy with shocking speed, catching the exhausted rabbit off-guard. Judy barely had time to slide under the assailing predator, in a desperate bid to escape. However, as Judy turned and bounded back up to her feet, she was caught full-force by the martial predator's spinning back-kick.

Flying sideways, Judy impacted hip-first with a pile of concrete debris which had been thrown away from the tunnel when the massive mechanical predator emerged. Having knocked the wind out of the offending bunny, the hyena dropped his guard to coolly walk over to where Judy now gasped for air.

"Silly rabbit," the hyena giggled as he now loomed over Judy, whom fought violently with her own battered and exhausted body to recover. "Lightning strikes, and Thunder rolls… but there is no escaping the Rain." The hyena threw his head back in barked laughter.

Judy watched in slow motion as the hyena drew back a heavy claw to strike the final blow. All of Judy's existence burned with exhaustion and screamed for oxygen. In between struggled gasps, Judy wondered if the embrace of death would be more forgiving than her current state. Dismissing the thought, Judy snapped a single paw up from her utility belt; leveling a tazer in a last-ditch effort.

The dual barbs buried them-selves deep in the flesh of the hyena's chest. To Judy's bitter disappointment, they had no effect on the looming predator.

Grabbing the lead wires and tearing them away, the hyena dislodged the barbs and disarmed Judy of her tazer in one fowl swoop. Judy watched in mangled defeated as the striped predator re-readied his heavy claw. Sealing her eyes tight, judy readied herself for the final blow.

A sickening thwack split the air… and the hyena collapsed sideways.

Reopening her eyes, Judy saw an exhausted Nick looming over the crumpled hyena, makeshift rebar club in tow.

"I'm really glad that worked…" gasped Nick, dropping his club to clutch his battered side "My ribs are murdering me right now, Carrots."

Feeling her breath finally returning to her, Judy sprung off the rubble to wrap Nick in an inescapably tight hug. "You saved me…"

Nick chuckled at Judy's passionate embrace. "Well that's what we do at the Z.P.D, Carrots… We save animals."

After taking a moment to catch his breath and return Judy's hug, Nick finally spoke up. "We've gotta call in the Mecha-Panther."

Judy pulled back to shoot Nick a death glare. "I am _not_ calling it that," Judy retorted, prompting Nick to smile even wider. Reaching to her utility belt, Judy's shoulders dropped in disappointment.

"Oh-no…" Judy looked over to the pile of rubble which so nearly became her grave. As she had expected, smashed bits of what used to be her paw-held radio littered the ground. Judy deduced that the radio had been smashed when she had been kicked into the pile of debris.

Shifting her attention, Judy realized the city street they were on lay in ruins. The massive mechanical predator had left an unparalleled swath of destruction. Overturning cars and smashing store-front as it ran, the Mecha-Panther left a weaving tank-trail as it rampaged through the center of Sahara Square. More worryingly still, was the fact that the mechanical war-machine was nowhere to be seen.

"Nick, we've gotta go after it," Judy said, desperation thick in her voice as she turned to run down the street. "Call it in on your radio and let's go."

Dropping his shoulders in defeat, Nick quickly looked about for another solution. Something caught the fox's keen eye.

"Come on, Nick" Judy yelled, stopping briefly to look back for her partner. The rabbit's face crumpled up in confusion as she caught sight of Nick pulling something out of the rubble.

"Tell me, Carrots" Nick asked as he stood the vehicle back up on its wheels. "Are you familiar with the term 'riding bitch'?"

 **Oh hot-diggity!**

Did you just read the whole chapter? Did you enjoy it? If you did, then read another! But before you go, please be sure to write a review, leave a favorite, or make a suggestion. I do this for me, but also for you guy. So please, give me your thought.

-Enjoy the next chapter!


	11. Chapter 11

**Dear reader,**

 **Big** /big/ - _Adjective_ \- of considerable size, extent, or intensity

 **Trouble** /ˈtrəb(ə)l/ - _Noun_ \- difficulty or problems

 **Big Trouble** /big-ˈtrəb(ə)l/ - _Compound Noun_ \- a rampaging mecha-panther

-Enjoy

"Nick," Judy yelled as her gray ears flopped about in the wind "When's the last time you rode a motorcycle again?"

"I had a little bike about fifteen years ago, Carrots" Nick reassured the tandem bunny whom rode behind him. Weaving around bits of debris and dodging the tracks of the Mecha-predator, Nick sought to close the distance on the fleeing war machine. "This bike's just like my old one," Nick continued as he barely avoided an upturned car, prompting Judy to press tightly into his back "It's just a _little_ bigger." Nick rolled the throttle on the disheveled blue bike, and jetted down a ruined strait-away.

"And you're sure you've never crashed" Judy asked, face still smushed into Nick's back.

"Have I ever crashed?" Nick looked at his partner over his silver aviators via the bike's single cracked side mirror. After repeating Judy's question back to her, Nick continued; "Not for fifteen years, Fluff." The predator's smile wrapped from ear to ear, as Judy's face crumpled up in dread. Rounding another corner, Nick finally made visual contact with the rampaging behemoth.

"Carrots, this is your captain speaking" Nick loosened his grip in the throttle as he matched the careening war-machine's pace from a safe distance. "We have found our Mecha-Panther…"

Judy leaned out sideways from behind Nick to get a better look of the carnage. A gasp caught in her throat as she watched the metal titan throw a full-sized vehicle from its path as though it were a matchbox car. "Sweet cheese and crackers…" mumbled Judy in shock, long gray ears still flopping about in the wind.

"I think now'd be a good time to make the call, Carrots" Nick lifted his right elbow to allow Judy to better retrieve the radio receiver from his uniform.

Bringing the receiver to her muzzle, Judy thumbed the button and initiated her call; "Dispatch, This is Detective Hopps; over"

However, Clawhauser did not reply. In his place came the steely voice of Police Chief Bogo; "Detective Hopps, this is Big-Trouble; what the _HELL_ is going on out there! Over"

Nick looked over his shoulder as he drove, catching Judy's concerned expression. Big-Trouble was the call sign for the Z.P.D armored transport helicopter. On its own; the helicopter's deployment was bad-news. The fact that Chief Bogo was on board made the situation ten times more dire.

"Chief Bogo…" Judy trailed off as she tried to form a report.

"Call it a 'Mecha-Panther'" antagonized Nick, reaching back to slap Judy's leg for emphasis. Judy swatted at Nick's paw before hurriedly reaffirming her grip on the back of his uniform, as the bike banked sharply around a mangled vehicle.

"I am not calling it that…" hissed Judy, prompting Nick to smile even wider.

" **HOPPS!** " the intimidating Police Chief's voice threatened to blow out the radio's speaker, and Judy inadvertently juggled the radio in shock before replying.

"Chief Bogo, Detective Wilde and I are currently in pursuit of a l-large…" Judy's shoulders dropped in defeat as she caught Nick peaking over his shades at her in the motorcycle's cracked mirror "Mecha-Panther."

The radio was painfully silent as Nick pumped the air with his fist, swerving the bike in the process. Judy shot the valiant fox a reflected glare as his tale began to wag in her lap.

"A what?" came the Chief's voice over the radio.

Nick's tale began to wag even more at Judy's plight as he wove his way through the carnage.

"A… M-Mecha-Panther" Judy repeated herself, before crushing her embarrassed face into Nick's back. Nick's tail now beat excitedly against Judy's inner thighs, prompting the rabbit's ears to blush at the stimulation. Seizing the moment of confused radio silence, Judy scolded Nick; "Nick, your tail is all up in 'my business'… _stop it_!"

"Sorry Carrots, it's got a mind all its –YIP!" Nick let out a pained yelp and swerved the procured motorcycle as Judy hopped up and sat-back-down forcefully on top of the fox's tail. Catching Judy's smug expression in his mirror, Nick's ears pinned back in a pained expression.

"We're coming up on your position," Bogo's voice crackled on the radio as the sound of a helicopter filled the air. "And we have visual o-" The Chief had stopped mid-sentence as the massive transport helicopter passed over head. Static still prickled the radio way, indicating that the police mammal had not released the talk button on his hand-set, but rather was reduced to complete silence by what he was seeing. "Did detective Wilde come up with that name?"

Judy shot Nick a death-glare as his ears perked up in excitement. Turning his attention to the sky; Nick threw the now circling helicopter a thumbs-up.

"Of course he did…" Bogo grumbled over the radio. "We've already deployed all of Sahara Square's cruisers for your extraction, but they're all tied up in this… _thing's_ war path."

"Mecha-Panther" corrected Nick, earning the fox a wrap on the back from Judy.

Bogo continued; "We currently have two units of localized SWAT, which are mobilizing as we speak."

Judy shot Nick a look of hope, as her pilot continued to chase down the metal war-cat.

"However," The Police Chief added crushing emphasis as he spoke; "We only have one shot at stopping this thing. We _need_ to know where it's going so we can head it off with the SWAT units. We tie up those last two units… and we're dead in the water until we can mobilize the other districts…"

Judy shifted her attention to the bulldozer as it effortlessly smashed a fire hydrant open, leaving a water-spout in its place.

"So tell me detectives…" Bogo paused, prompting one of Nick's ears to pin back for better reception. "Could either of you venture a guess as to where it is headed?"

Judy took a deep breath before keying the receiver. Judy's mouth opened to speak, but no words came out. The rabbit detective's mind went completely blank, as she grasped at proverbial straws in a desperate bid for a clue. However, Judy had nothing.

"The wall…" it was Nick who broke the silence. "It's headed for the wall… Mistress-Mecha seemed awfully upset with the walls before she went all Lawnmower Mammal."

Judy's mouth snapped shut in surprise as she let go of the talk-button. Shooting Nick an impressed expression via the cracked mirror, Judy brought the radio back on-line. "You catch that chief…"

The line stayed dead for an impassable moment. The sterling roar of the motorcycle's engine fought with the thumping of the helicopter's blades before clashing with the orchestra of destruction ahead of them. Finally Bogo spoke; "If Detective Wilde is correct; then we may be on the precipice of disaster… If those walls fail; it could set off a chain reaction which would Boil half the city to death and freeze the other…"

Nick and Judy exchanged worried glances as Nick extended his leash on the rampaging disaster.

"We have to initiate the emergency protocol… Stay on the Panther detectives; I'll fetch the Climate-Crisis advisor… Big-Trouble; out." The line went dead for an immutable second, before chiming the Z.P.D. emergency alert tone. The Chief of Police began feeding instructions for a city-wide evacuation as the armored helicopter broke away from the chase.

Judy fed Nick a reflected look of desperation and worry as she turned down the radio's volume.

Returning his attention to the road, Nick's eyes bulged in shock as he slammed on the brakes. The motorcycles' rear tire locked, and the duo fishtailed to a stop in front of the climate control wall. Putting his feet down to stabilize the bike, Nick bit the inside of his cheek in dread as he watched the Mecha-Panther claw at and attempt to burrow into the impenetrable wall.

Judy hopped off the back seat of the bike and walked around for a better view. From their station, about 50 meters away from the carnage, Nick and Judy felt helpless. Looking about, upturned and trampled cars choked all roads into the arena in front of them. Snapping her head to the side, Judy caught the sound of the Zootopia emergency broadcast system; feeding from the radio of a crumpled sedan. Mammals fled the scene in panic, creating an isolated ghost town.

"So…" Nick drug out the words as he grimaced at the scene in front of them. "You s'pose we should try and stop it or pick up cheer-leading, Carrots?"

Judy let a nervous chuckle escape herself. Turning around, Judy's face dropped in horror as Nick, and his bike, we bulldozed sideways by a mountain of striped fur.

" _ **NICK!**_ " Judy screamed as the third and final Storm launched Nick into the side of an upturned mini-van. Judy's heart shattered as her mind's-eye replayed images of Nick, tied to a spine-board, being loaded into an ambulance.

Nick drifted through the air in slow motion as his attention shifted from the monstrous female hyena's contorted smile, to the crippled and mangled bike he was being thrown from. Nick couldn't help but think about what a shame it was to trample such a beautiful machine. Nick really liked that bike…

Flat-backing into the side of the van, Nick limply slid down into the ring of debris which surrounded the derelict vehicle. Landing broken-side first, Nick felt lightning strike as one of his shattered ribs gave way and folded into the soft tissue of his lung. Nick would have howled in pain, but his faculties would not come to him. Having wracked his skull in the impact, Nick was now trapped in his own head as a knotted string of barely conscious thoughts. For Nick, the world played out as an indescript spin-cycle of color which turned in slow motion.

Judy charged the massive hyena's blind side. Lunging into the air, Judy landed a powerful double kick in the square of the female's broad shoulders. Rebounding off her target, Judy landed and realized her full boar assault hadn't even staggered the immovable object.

The hyena turned about, laughing at Judy's "Kick". The iron female charged the rabbit officer full speed, affording Judy only a moment to roll off of the train tracks. Spinning around, Judy recoiled as the hyena collided with the side of a car, knocking it onto its side.

"Lighting, Rain and Thunder" laughed the lumbering female as she turned about to face Judy. "Lightning strikes, and the rain is all consuming…"

Judy shuffled back away from the approaching Storm in a bid to maintain her distance.

"But truly it is the Thunder which strikes _terror_ in the hearts of mammals…" the hyena now loomed over Judy. Opening her mouth to laugh, the hyena was interrupted as a piece of rebar collided with the side of her head, bending around the contour of her skull.

Snatching up the bunny (whom hung from the end of her impromptu weapon) by the wrist, the hyena pulled Judy up to eye level, and shook a single digit in the universal signal for "NO". Throwing Judy heavily into the middle of the street, the hyena peeled the rebar away from her skull before tossing it to the side.

Nick turned around, slowly recovering from Judy's death-march to the top. Catching his breath, Nick staggered over to edge of the mountain where Judy was standing as though she were a statue. Nick's eyes bulged and his breath caught at the landscape that unfolded before him.

A patchwork quilt of frozen city-blocks stretched out for miles and miles, only punctuated by dozens of little frozen bunny-hills that perforated the rolling earth's surface. Each hill was adorned by a few lit windows, which shone out like stars that had been captured by the icy expanses. Above him, Nick could see all of swirling creation dance about the heavens, billions of stars shone out as pin-pricks of light against the inky void.

Nick's mind swirled and went blank again as it attempted to piece together its contents and inputs. Lightening rolled behind the fox's eyes as music began to play for him alone.

Judy began to tire as she slid under the massive hyena, delivering a normally-devastating elbow to the inside of the cast-iron mammal's knee as she passed. Judy's blow ricocheted harmlessly off the impervious predator's "weak-point". Judy had been at odds with Thunder for what felt like hours, evading obliteration and delivering harmless blows. In a distracted moment, Judy's attention landed on Nick instead of the task at paw. In-between her own pants, Judy thought she saw Nick blink and start to move.

A scream of pain tor through Judy as an iron heel cut through the rabbit's distraction, and into the top of her foot. Pain rocked Judy's body as the bones in her right foot gave way under the hyena's blow, which pinned her to the spot. Pulling her arms up in a feeble attempt to guard herself from the incoming back-paw, Judy's whole body was rocked as she pivoted sideways about her trapped foot. Catching on a piece of rubble, Judy's body levered about the fulcrum, and her knee broke inwards. Bile rose in the rabbit's throat as her vision threatened to gray out from the pain.

Releasing the rabbit's trapped and mangled foot; the hyena grabbed a fist-full of Judy's ears and yanked her up to eye level. The crippled rabbit trashed weakly at her captors grasp, prompting a nasally giggle to escape the smiling predator.

Nick's vision flashed white hot as his brain was snapped back online by Judy's scream. Focusing in on his partner, Nick's system was flooded with adrenaline as he watched the scene unfold in front of him.

" _ **Hay!**_ " Nick yelled as he clambered back to his feet. Nick's shout was cut to a gurgle as his battered lung spilt its contents into his airway. Fetching a piece of concrete from about his feet, Nick spat blood to the side before hurling the stone into the back of the striped hyena's head.

Freezing solid, the impervious hyena's attention shifted from her rabbit, to the assailing fox.

"Hay, Daddy-Issues…" Nick yelled, garnering the hyena's full attention "I'm talking to you!"

The hyena dropped Judy, whom landed painfully on her mangled limb and let out another howl of pain. Turning around to face Nick, the hyena carved a slow menacing swath towards the fox.

"Yeah that's right!" Nick barked, a growl forming in his chest. "Come and get me!"

A thunder of hoof steps caused the hyena's attention to snap sideways; just in time to catch the full fury of a charging Cape Buffalo. All 1,300 pounds of Police Chief Bogo collided with the immovable hyena, and carried her off her feet and into the side of a dumpster. Impacting with righteous fury, the green-steel container folded around the careening mega-mammal. Absorbing a volley of blunt rending-claws with his thick hide, the Chief of Police reared back before delivering his good-night-kiss with a thunderous head-but. The hyena's maniacal laughter was cut short as the final storm was quelled.

Returning his attention to the crumpled pile of Judy Hopps, Nick bolted to her side. Without saying a word, Nick scooped up the sobbing rabbit and made his way to the grounded helicopter which had been his saving grace.

A disheveled Billy goat ran towards the mangled duo, gesturing madly at the mecha-panther which had all but broken into the wall, and yelling about the impending disaster.

Nick's attention made no detour as he plodded his way towards the armored transport. Elbowing past the ranting mad-mammal Nick set Judy down inside the aircraft's passenger bay.

"Detective!" the goat pulled at Nick's sleeve.

"Not now," growled Nick, as he attempted to console his mangled girlfriend.

"Detective!" continued the goat "we need to stop tha-"

" **Not! Now!** " yelled Nick, knocking the goat backwards with the sheer force of his words alone. Spitting blood off to the side, Nick returned his attention to Judy, whom still sobbed over her mangled limb.

"Hay, Carrots…" Nick's voice shook more than his paws as he tended to his battered love. "Hay, look at me…" Judy was near inconsolable and it broke Nick's heart. "Judy!" Nick patted her cheek in a desperate bid to regain her attention.

Judy bit down hard on her lip and forced her sobs down to a dull whimper.

"Hay, there we go…" Nick scrubbed away a trail of tears from Judy's cheek with a shaky padded thumb. "You're ok, Fluff… You're gonna make it…" Nick's expression was in unreadable mask as he shifted his attention to Judy's leg which lay at an odd angle.

"How's your head?" Judy asked in between sniffles.

Nick let a chuckle escape him as he pulled Judy into a hug. How Judy managed to be concerned about him in her current state was a mystery, but Nick loved her that much more for it. "I'm fine…" Nick's reply was cut short by a painful bout of coughing, which culminated in the fox spitting a mouthful of blood off to the side. Pulling in a wheezing breath, Nick could feel the adrenaline wearing off.

"Oh my god, Nick…" Judy brought her paws to her mouth in horror as she watched Nick wipe the bright red froth from his lips. "Your ribs… are you okay?"

Nick couldn't help but start to laugh as Judy placed a worried paw on his battered side.

"Nick, this is serious!" Judy made to lean forward, but recoiled as lightning struck her leg. With a pained gasp, Judy slammed herself back against the wall of the helicopter's cabin.

"Whoa there, Carrots" Nick choked as me knelt beside his mangled lover. "Just breath…"

Judy blew a shaking breath through her nose as she regained her composure. "What's so funny, Detective?"

Nick let a shaky chuckle escape him as he kissed Judy's head. "I love you, Carrots" Whispered Nick, taking one of Judy's paws in his own. "Don't you ever forget that."

Lightning flashed in Nick's brain as the song came to a close. Stepping back from his partner, Nick made a deep bow at the ocean of giggling bunnies. Turning around, Nick gestured to the live band eliciting cheers from the sea which encircled the dancefloor. Returning his attention to his fiancé, Nick opened his mouth to speak.

"Detectives…"

Nick snapped back out of his own head, and turned a fiery glare at the offending goat.

"We are about to have a very big problem…" the Billy-goat scientist pointed to where the predatory machine had breached the wall.

Shifting their attention to the wall, Nick and Judy watched in vile amazement as the mecha-panther unearthed a massive electrical cable from the bottom of the breached wall. Rearing back, the war machine lunged forward and snapped its jaws shut on the monstrous cable. Static filled the air as the monstrous machine seized up and finally collapsed with the cable still in its jaws.

The trio's ears flicked about as something curios happened. Like a sound that you don't recognize until it's gone; the wall went completely silent creating a deafening audio vacuum. However, as quickly as it had left, the noise returned with a vengeance, whirling and whining its way to a fever pitch.

Nick and Judy's hair prickled and began to stand on end as a wall of cold engulfed them. Nick's ears folded back has he realized he could see his breath… in Sahara Square.

 **Oh hot-diggity!**

Did you just read the whole chapter? Did you enjoy it? If you did, then read another! But before you go, please be sure to write a review, leave a favorite, or make a suggestion. I do this for me, but also for you guy. So please, give me your thought.

-Enjoy the next chapter!


	12. Chapter 12

"In English, please…" Chief Bogo cut the goat's scientific jargon short as he pinched the bridge of his snout in frustration.

Nick nodded towards the imposing Cape Buffalo as he stared down the frantic goat Scientist. Having "subdued" the hyena whom had mauled his officers, Chief Bogo now set his sights on the Crisis at paw.

"The wall's heat sink has been tripped…" explained the scientist, his tone thick with dread and urgency. "The wall has a fail-safe measure, which was designed to counter the possibility of a nuclear melt-down. In the event an atomic-inferno; the heat sink was designed to absorb an inordinate amount of thermal energy from its environment."

"Meaning?" asked Nick, still entirely confused as to what was happening.

The goat ground a hoof into his eye-brows before answering; "The wall is about to pull the equivalent energy of a small nuclear detonation from its environment… it's essentially about to b-become a-an…"

"Ice-bomb…" finished Nick.

"No!" snapped the scientist before recomposing himself. "I-I mean… I wouldn't have put it so bluntly, but… y-yes. If we don't stop the wall… it will send everything in a ten mile radius back to _the ice-age_. Even mammals which currently live in Tundra Town would not be able to survive"

Bogo, Judy and Nick all stiffened at the notion.

"So how do we stop it" asked Chief Bogo.

"Well…" the goat scientist fidgeted and shifted back and forth as he thought. "There is… _one_ way…"

"Well then…" asked Bogo, frustration taking hold in the massive mammal.

"There's a kill switch…" the goat swallowed hard in preparation for the final bit of information; "but it's a dead-mammal switch; someone's going to have to hold it in order for it to work."

"Of course it is," spat Nick, throwing his paws up in disbelief.

"The wall was never meant to be turned off!" defended the disheveled goat. "The climate control walls are what allows Zootopia to be… _ZOOTOPIA_!"

"So I s'pose we 'Nose-Goes' to see who gets to go hold the switch till help arrives" Nick joked as he looked about the cabin of the helicopter, where sat next to his mangled partner. "Shouldn't there be animals already in the wall; specifically for this kind of thing?"

"Well, normally… yes" the goat shifted nervously under the police force's combined gazes before continuing; "but the climate union is currently on strike."

"Are you serious?" asked Nick, all humor having been replaced with a volatile mixture of disgust and disbelief.

The goat's deadpan stare told Nick everything he needed to know.

"Unbelievable…" Nick threw his paws up a second time at the situation. "Guess I'll go get the light-switch then… you want to draw me a map?"

"You can't go in there!" spat the Billy Goat so forcefully all three officers were taken back a little. "You'll freeze to death in a matter of minutes! Already it's at least negative twenty degrees Fahrenheit (-28 C) in that wall and dropping. With no winter gear and only a summer coat of fur; you'll be hypothermic before you even reach the switch! And even if you do make it; the three o'clock blizzard hits in ten minutes. It will freeze anyone unlucky enough to be inside when it hits, regardless of whether the switch is thrown or not."

The circle of mammals stood in sober silence at the death sentence which had been passed down to them. Blowing out a thick cloud of vapor into the freezing air, Nick volunteered.

"No..." Judy whispered, shifting her attention from Nick to Bogo and back. "You can't go…" Judy attempted to move forward from her position in the cab of the helicopter to better protest, but was wracked by the pain in her mangled leg. "Y-you can't go… w-we'll figure something else out; help _is_ on the way!"

Nick opened his mouth to reply before being interrupted by the goat; "If the blizzard hits while the wall is still in overload, it will encase it in ice, sealing the city's fa-"

Nick grabbed the offending scientist by the muzzle before shoving him out of the conversation. "We get it!" barked Nick before returning his attention back to Judy. "Somebody has to do something, Carrots."

"No… Nick" a tear ran down Judy's cheek as her own words were used against her by the fox whom couldn't even remember having heard them. "Someone else can go, Nick. I-I… Forbid you from going!" Judy's sadness made a sharp turn to rage at the implications of their current situation.

"Carrots…" Nick tried to settle Judy's distress, reaching a paw for her shoulder.

"No!" snapped Judy, swatting away Nick's paw. "Do _not_ touch me, Detective! As your senior on the force, I-I am _ordering_ y-you to stay!"

Nick blew a heavy sigh as he clenched his eyes shut tight. The white cloud of breath rolled across his chest as Nick unclipped the badge which had so proudly lived on his uniform for two years.

Judy's rage vanished; leaving behind only shock and heartbreak as Nick placed the token in her paws, in a symbolic gesture of defiance. "N-Nick…" Judy tried to speak but choked on the lump in her throat.

"Judy…" Nick silenced the heart broken rabbit with a single digit to her lips. "This is my choice…" Nick planted a somber kiss on Judy's head. This time the rabbit made no attempt to intercept the kiss, instead electing to let it land where it may, in sober silence.

Swallowing the lump which had formed in his throat, Nick turned his attention away from his devastated girlfriend to Chief Bogo and the nameless scientist. "Use the helicopters radio to give me directions…" said Nick as he turned and began his trek towards the imposing wall.

A shiver ran down Nick's spine as he approached the icy tomb. Curiously, it was not the biting cold which made the fox shiver, but rather a mixture of dread and bitter disappointment. Chuckling to himself, Nick realized he was not scared by his looming death, but rather disappointed that he was going to leave so much unfinished. Nick took a moment to steel his resolve.

"Do it for her," Nick whispered to himself as he thought of Judy's loving smile. "Give her a future," Nick continued as he thought of his girlfriend's eternal optimism. "This is bigger than you; somebody has to do something…"

"Detective Wilde…" Nick's radio barked at him, refocusing the fox on his job. "This is Doctor Wringer; let's get you to that kill-switch."

Nick followed the corded piece of "police-Junk's" directions through the bitter cold of the deserted facility. Frost bit at the fleshy pulp of Nick's battered lung, burning an icy hole in the fox's chest. The unprotected paw-pads of Nick's feet burnt like fire on the icy-corrugated-metal cat-walks. The relentless cold bit deep into Nick's worn body stiffening his muscles as he made the slow pilgrimage to his destination and ultimately, his grave.

"I think I see it…" Nick said, blowing a billowy white cloud as he spoke into the receiver. Limping over to the solitary console, Nick scrubbed the frost off of the switch's metal label. "Yeah, that's definitely it…"

Outside the wall, three mammals huddled around a single receiver in the back of an armored helicopter. Like an olden family listening to a radio-drama, the mismatch trio pinned their ears towards the speaker, hanging on its every word.

"I'm glad you guys had the foresight to install a giant Frankenstein-style switch…" Nick's voice crackled the airwave. "I was worried I was just going to be able to set a coffee mug on a button and leave." The sound of Nick's grunt as he threw the massive lever trailed over the hand-set, before being replaced by a coughing fit. "I got it…"

The mighty Cape Buffalo passed the receiver to Judy, whom took it with shaking paws. Tapping the goat doctor on the shoulder, the massive mammal nodded for them to leave the conversation. Jumping from the cabin of the grounded machine, Bogo left Judy and Nick to each other.

The line was silent for an impassable minute. Judy let a single tear roll down her cheek as she regarded the alienating piece of technology, her last life-line to her fiancé.

"Judy…" Nick's voice crackled across the system.

"I'm here…" replied Judy in a weak, shaking tone.

"I think we're gonna have to reschedule our vacation…"

Judy pressed her eyes closed as she fought to maintain composure. "That's ok…"

The line sat stagnant for an immutable span of time before Nick continued; "I was thinking we could go back to Bunny Burrows… You know? I could final meet your family…"

The broken bits of Judy's heart shattered into fine dust. Judy wondered why she hadn't been strong enough to tell Nick the truth. She wanted to confess, Judy wanted to tell Nick everything in that moment. Judy wanted to recount Nick's disastrous proposal. Judy wanted to share their spot at the earthen amphitheater. Judy needed to tell Nick how much she loved his singing, and his carrot ice-cream. Unfortunatley, that ship had long since sailed. Soon, the single most important mammal on the planet to Judy would be gone; and he would have no idea just how much he had meant.

"I think my dad will like you…" Judy chuckled weakly, biding her time before the inevitable storm. The engagement ring, turned necklace, felt like an inescapable anchor about the rabbit's neck.

Nick laughed over the air-way before a coughing fit cut him short. "How do you think he'll take the news when he finds out his little girl is dating an ex-con-mammal _fo_ -"

The line went static.

"Nick?" Judy tried the receiver again. " _Nick?_ "

Static continued to spill through the deadened life line.

"Nick… _please…_ " Judy slammed the button in a desperate bid to reopen communications. " _N-Nick, come on… I n-need you…_ " Judy's pleading devolved into a cry, and her crying into a bitter sob. " _Don't g-go..._ "

On a beautiful August day, snow began to fall in Sahara Square. The storm had arrived, and with it;

The End

 **Dear reader,**

Come, sit with me for a bit. It's ok; I know you're probably a little upset, but all good things must come to a close. While I have had an amazing time writing for all you wonderful people, it has come time to move on. Wait, Wait, don't go just yet... We're going to have a candle-light vigil for the dearly departed on Sunday. I know it's a long time to wait, but preparations must be made. The Hopps family will be there, Nick's friends and the Police Force.

If you are looking for closure, I suggest listening to; A House, A Home by The Alialujah Choir

-Duke


	13. Chapter 13

"How do you think he'll take the news when he finds out his little girl is dating an ex-con-mammal fox?"

Nick jumped in surprise, almost losing his grip on the kill-switch, as the wall around him roared to life; breathing forth the snow-storm. Checking his phone with frost-bit paws, Nick saw that it was three o'clock, on the dot. Nick also noted his phones background; a touching photo from Judy and his' first date.

Returning his attention to his corded radio, Nick found that the line had gone static. Dropping his radio to the side, Nick let the severed life-line dangle from the obnoxious radio-pack.

A nasally chuckle began to escape Nick. He couldn't help but think how absurd his situation was. An ex-con turned cop, sacrifices himself for a city he used to never believe in. It was funny to Nick. Nick's chuckle grew to a pained laugh and his laugh to a violent yell of frustration.

The bitter cold offered Nick no solace in his final moments, and bit deeper and deeper into his worn and failing body. Nick slumped to his knees, paw all but frozen to the hefty switch, as he attempted to make peace with his situation.

"It's f-f-fucking c-cold, C-Carrots…" shuttered Nick to himself. "I-I'm gonna m-miss ya'…"

Nick pressed his eyes shut tight, breath slowing in the cold. A single tear rolled down and froze to the fox's cheek. Nick's brain began to make the final rounds before closing up shop for good.

Nick's life began to flash across his mind's eye.

Nick did not see flashes of a single mother doing her best to raise him. Nick did not see his life on the streets. All these memories were from a dark and suppressed time; those memories belonged to an entirely different fox.

Instead, Nick saw Judy. Nick recalled Judy saving him from certain death in the rainforest district. Nick remembered their touching gondola-ride to city hall. Nick remembered solving the Night Howlers case, and Judy's redemption. The last two years with the love of his life played out for the fox, offering him closure as his breathing all but came to a stop.

Nick remembered planning a vacation with his girlfriend, and then something marvelous happened. Lightning struck the barrier in Nick's mind, and his lost memories came pouring back to him.

Nick remembered everything.

Nick remembered his disastrous proposal, singing to Judy at their "spot," boxing with her father, teaching the old bunny to dance, and ultimately the moment he had mended Judy's broken heart.

Nick's eyes snapped open as he gasped for breath in a desperate bid to reawaken his body. Nick's heart beat furiously as it fought to bring the rest of his organs back online.

Nick shook the pain out of his head as he recalled his memories, and realized; Judy and him were engaged.

"Awe, god d-damn it, brain!" Nick cursed himself. Working his way back to his feet, Nick realized that if he died in this wall, it would ruin Judy. Nick was no longer content to die for Judy; instead, Nick now needed to live for her.

Frantically, Nick searched his surroundings with a renewed fervor. The fox looked for _anything_ he could use to hold the switch in place. Spinning about his captive paw, Nick began to curse himself; "C-come on Nick! Th-think of some-thing; a-a-anything…"

Nick trailed off as his frostbitten ear caught the sound of something dragging about his feet. Looking to the source, Nick saw his corded radio.

"You piece of g-garbage…" Nick said as a smile crept across his frosty muzzle. Reaching behind himself with numb paws, Nick fought to retrieve the oversized radio pack from his belt. After muttering a few choice words, the block dropped to the floor with a heavy thud. Pulling the system to himself with the hand-set, Nick stretched and tested the obnoxious cable before tying it about the kill-switch; securing the lever in place. "J-Judy was right… I g-guess you're not _entirely_ useless."

Nick laughed at his handy-work, before doing a slow motion fist-pump of celebration. Spinning on his heels, Nick made to leave the wall, and fell flat on his face. The bitter cold had chilled and bitten the fox's muscles into near immovable masses of frozen flesh. Clambering back to his feet, Nick wheezed and leaned against a wall for support.

"C-come on, N-Nicholas… J-Judy n-needs us…" Nick told himself as he staggered and stumbled his way through the frozen expanses of the wall. Nick's violent shivering had been reduced to a thick numbness as he stood at-odds with his hypothermia. Rounding a corner, Nick almost cried as he saw the break in the wall. Sahara square had never looked so welcoming to the fox.

Staggering the last few steps, Nick collapsed into the sunlight, which burnt and scolded his frozen flesh. Nick didn't care, the sun felt amazing. However, Nick was struck with panic as he recognized the sound of a helicopter preparing for take-off.

Nick tried to call-out, but his voice only came as a gravely croak before being cut down by a coughing fit. Nick tried to scramble back to his feet, but his body had exhausted its supply of adrenaline, leaving the fox to crawl and stagger his way to the helicopter.

Getting closer and closer, Nick was finally able to look into the cab. Judy sat on one bench, cradling Nick's badge, consumed by emotion. On the other bench, Chief Bogo sat and stared down at his own hooves in resigned defeat. The helicopter began to lift off the ground, and Nick realized he would not make it.

In a last ditch bid for attention, Nick threw a rock.

The tiny stone flew from the frozen fox, through the air, and into the side of the iron buffalo's skull. Snapping his furious attention to the source, Bogo's face crumpled up in confusion before lighting up with recognition.

"PUT US DOWN!" bellowed the cape buffalo before jumping from the still rising helicopter. Landing with a heavy thud, the massive mammal charged towards the wobbly fox.

Nick feared that the Chief would crush him with a hug, as the iron mammal scooped him off his feet. Cradling Nick in his massive arms, the buffalo made to carry his battered detective back to the helicopter.

"Is the switch secure, Detective?" asked the Chief.

"Yes sir…" replied the frost-bitten fox.

"Good work, detective… I'm proud of you."

"Thank you sir…"

"But if you ever throw a rock at me again… you'd better hope your already dying, Wilde" a thin smile crept across the buffalo's iron muzzle as they closed in on their ride.

"Say chief," Nick asked from the nook of Chief Bogo's sculpted chest "promise to carry me like this on our wedding Night?"

Nick's smug smile disappeared entirely as the massive mammal dropped him onto the floor of the helicopter.

Judy was snapped away from her emotions by Nick's yelp. Looking up to the source, Judy's words failed her.

"Hay, Carrots…" Nick mumbled as he made his way over to his crippled fiancé. Judy's shattered visage broke Nick's heart as she held her arms out for him. Nick carefully scooped Judy up and into his lap, where she began to sob uncontrollably. Nick simply pet Judy's long grey ears as he waited for her sorrow to wane. Meanwhile, the helicopter lifted back off the ground, carrying it's passengers to the Sacred Lions hospital.

"Y-you c-came back…" Judy sniffled, finally composing herself enough to speak.

Nick reached a frozen paw into the collar of Judy's uniform, and pulled out the necklace which held their engagement ring. Judy watched as Nick took the ring, and placed it back on her finger where it belonged.

"Of course I did, Carrots" Nick chuckled as Judy wrapped him in a murderously tight hug. "It'll take more than an apocalypse to take me away from my bunny-girl."

 **Dear reader,**

Firstly, I'm sorry. I am sorry that I tricked all of you into thinking Nick had been killed in the wall. It was always my intention to have Nick survive, and I do plan to complete at least four stories. That being said; **THANK YOU FOR READING MY WORK** **!** I have had an absolute blast writing this and cannot wait to start my next story. I am going to be offline for about a month while I plan and write for the next part, but please feel free to write me if you guys have any questions or input. Before you go, please be sure to write a review, leave a favorite, or make a suggestion. I do this for me, but also for you guy. So please, give me your thought.

Nick and Judy will return in; Off Without a Hitch

Thank you for reading,  
-Duke


	14. Chapter 14

**-Epilogue-**

* * *

"I feel stupid…"

"That's because you _are_ stupid," Judy buried her face in Nick's hospital gown as they shared a single gurney. Despite the doctor's orders and best intentions, Nick and Judy refused to stay in separate beds as they awaited they own respective surgeries. Nick had hardly waited for the doctor to turn his back on them before joining his fiancé in their commiserated medical misery.

Now that the nurses had finally finished prepping the duo for surgery, and treating Nick's frost bites; the fox and rabbit odd-couple shared a moment of rest.

Judy shuttered in Nick's arms as she thought about how cold his body still felt from the deep-freeze.

"But you're _my_ stupid fox…" Judy blew out heavily as she attempted to keep the painkillers from blurring her vision any further.

Nick drew in a ragged breath as he regarded one of his shaved paws with a mixture of disgust and disappointment. In treating Nick's frost-bite, the nurses had shaved several of his afflicted areas. Both Nick's front and back paws had been trimmed down to bare skin, and the later of the two were wrapped in medicated bandages. Nick's ears had also been shaved, along with a large portion of his bushy tail. While he was bitter at his appearance, he supposed he should count himself lucky he wasn't going to lose any paw-pads or the tips of his ears.

"You think they'll wait till my fur grows back before they try to make a statue of me?" Nick joked, returning his shaved paw to its duty of stroking Judy's ears.

"Why, Mr. Wilde, are they going to make a statue of you?" Judy asked, face still smushed into her lover's thawing chest.

"Because I saved the city, remember?" Nick shot a smug smile down at Judy as she lifted her head to glare up at her partner.

"What," Judy tried desperately to focus in on the blurry fox in front of her "you don't want to be remembered as 'Nicholas The Bat-Eared Fox?'"

Nick's shave ears pinned back in embarrassment as he broke Judy's gaze in shame.

Seeing that she had jabbed too harshly at Nick's wound, Judy attempted to recover; "Hay, Nick…" Judy reached up to scratch behind Nick's bald ears; they felt cold to the touch. "It doesn't look _that_ bad, trust me…"

Nick chuckled slightly at Judy's failed recovery. "Jee fluff, you really know how to make me feel better about myself."

"To be fair," Judy crunched up her brow as she attempted to clear the fog from her mind, "They've got me on some really amazing drugs right now… I can't even feel my leg…" Judy shifted off Nick's chest to pull up her medical gown, revealing her shaved leg and foot.

"Look at your leg, little miss kettle" laughed Nick at Judy's missing fur. "I always figured bunnies were mostly fluff, but even I would have never expected that."

Judy giggled at Nick's teasing as she marveled at the peculiar sight.

"They shaved so much off, I'm not sure if I should keep you or the pile of hair!" Judy tried to smother a laugh with her paw as Nick continued. "I'm serious carrots; if we're not careful, the doctors will come take the pile of fur into surgery, and the janitors will follow up by sweeping you into a dust-pan." Judy's laughter broke past her barrier, and she snorted out a heavy laugh.

"N-Nick!" Judy wiped tears from her eyes as she continued to laugh harder than she had in recent memory. "I c-can't breathe!"

"It really is a shame I never took up knitting," Nick laughed as he continued his roast, "otherwise I could totally knit myself a whole other bunny!"

Judy's laughter reached a fever pitch of panting before making a swift and bitter turn to sobs. "I Th-Thought I'd lost you…"

Nick's composure snapped back inline as he attempted to calm the mangled and chemically compromised rabbit. "It's ok Judes, I'm right here, I'll always be here… Don't you worry…"

"Promise?" Judy sniffled into Nick's chest.

"I promise," Nick assured his fiancé.

The pair sat in silence as their emotions normalized.

"I was so scared," it was Judy whom broke the silence. "At first I-I just lost a p-part of you, you know? I still had you, but there were pieces missing; and it hurt sooo bad…"

Nick's face crumpled up in unreadable emotion as Judy continued to talk into his chest.

"A-and I thought _that_ was the worst thing that could ever happen… I thought; my heart couldn't break any more. You were still you, but you were… like a shell… and you didn't love me like _I_ loved you. It felt like I'd lost you. But then you went into the wall… and I… I… _knew_ … I'd lost you…" Judy's words trailed off as her composure crumbled again.

Nick bit the inside of his cheek in a failing attempt to hold in his own emotion.

"An-and I knew; it was all my fault…" Judy sniffled and stuttered as a tear escaped Nick "that you would never know how important you are to me."

"It's ok, Judy…" Nick mumbled as he wiped away the offending water-work. "It's very scary; I'm still not at peace with what happened… It's horrifying that something so dear to me was taken away; and I didn't even know. The fact that my bunny-girl, and our engagement, was wiped away… I don't know _what_ to think…"

The pair returned to sober silence once more, as they embraced each other.

A sharp knock on their hospital room-door grab their attention, snapping the duo back to reality.

"Detectives," the Chief announced as he entered their room. "I'm here to congratulate you two on solving the case… again…"

Nick and Judy shifted and sat up on their shared gurney, to better address the authority figure.

"Thanks chief," replied Nick, "Let's hope it stays solved this time."

"For both our sake," acknowledged Bogo. "Well we now have all _three_ hyenas in custody, and the… Mecha-Panther… has been drug off to impound. As for the missing rodents, their families have been notified, and they are all being debriefed as we speak. Stellar work detectives, you two are truly the best of the best." The massive mammal folded his hooves behind his back as he smiled proudly at his two newest detectives. "On a side note; you two are also on paid medical leave… again… If I didn't know any better, I'd say you two are gaming the system, and getting your money's worth out of those new badges."

Nick smiled sheepishly at the chief of police before turning his attention to Judy.

"About that," Judy raised a single digit as she regarded the blurry mammal. "I resign my position as a detective for the ZPD."

Both Nick and Bogo were taken back by shock as they processed Judy's request.

"I didn't join the ZPD to solve murders and piece together crime scenes," Judy continued, unfazed by the shocked mammals in front of her. "I joined to help animals, and to make the world a safer place. I joined to help stop murders, and prevent crimes. I joined to be a cop."

The chief of police shifted his attention to Nick, whom was still reeling just as much as Bogo.

"I guess… me to?" Nick shifted his attention from Judy to Bogo in an attempt to navigate the situation.

"Very well…" Bogo flattened the front of his uniform with his hooves before continuing; "I will take your requests into consideration…"

Upon Bogo's acknowledgement, the doctor returned to the rabbit-fox duo's room. "Nicholas Wilde, and Judy Hopps; one collapsed lung, and a shattered knee and foot, respectively." The doctor smiled warmly as he hung his clip-board on the end of their gurney.

Producing two syringes, the badger doctor regarded his patents "We're all ready to operate, but who wants to sleep first?"

Nick and Judy swapped glances before Judy finally spoke; "I guess that's my cue…"

The doctor nodded before making his way over to the rabbit's I.V. drip.

"Wait," Judy halted the doctor before turning her attention to Nick. With a quick shove, Judy had laid Nick back against the gurney. After planting a solid kiss on her fiancé's muzzle, the rabbit curled up on Nick's side and rested her head on his chest. "Ok, I'm ready Doc'"

The badger injected the rabbit-sedative into Judy's I.V. and watched as her lights began to fade. Making his way about the gurney to Nick's I.V. the doctor pushed the final plunger, and cleared his throat. With a quick nod, the Doctor and Chief Of Police exited the room as they waited for the pair to drift off to sleep.

Judy's eyes became unimaginably heavy as the sleeping-drug engulfed her brain. The warm embrace of sleep all but swallowed the rabbit as she fought to maintain Nick's emerald gaze.

"I love you Nicholas P. Wilde…"

"I know," replied Nick as sleep threatened to take him.

"Don't you… Han… Solo… me… officer…" Judy replied with a sleepy smile.

A single tired chuckle escaped Nick, before he planted a kiss on Judy's forehead. Pulling back, Nick saw that Judy had lost her battle, and now snored lightly onto his chest.

"I love you… to... Carrots… Don't… you… ever… forget… Tha'…"

 **-THE END-**

Once again, thank you for reading my work. Big Trouble In Little Rodentia has been an amazing experience for me as a writer, and I look forward to continuing with my planned sequels very soon. A few readers had commented on the story not having enough proper closure, and I was inclined to agree with them. While the city was safe, and the criminals were (presumably) captured, Nick and Judy definitely needed one more exchange to re-solidify their relationship. as a result, I took a quick break from prepping Off Without a Hitch to bring some more closure.

As for future stories; we still have **two more books** in the line-up. Be sure to Follow and Favorite my account so that you get instant notification when the new story drops next month.

If this is the first story you've read by me, I encourage you to go back and enjoy **The Fox In Bunny Burrows** (which can be found by clicking on my name in the header).

Thank you all so much for reading,

-Duke


	15. Chapter 15

Dear Readers,

Into the great green yonder! After months of soul-searching and countless pilgrimages, I had found myself atop the tallest mountain in Bangladesh. I had been blindly searching for a fabled wise-guy atop the mountain for many moons, and despite exhaustion, hunger, a complete language barrier or even an accurate understanding of how maps worked, I had found him. In making his acquaintance, I had offered him the traditional Banglanees gift of some rocks I had found outside his home. Graciously, the wise-guy refused my gift eight times before finally gesturing for me to put them in the corner. I asked the wise-guy what was up, but he did not reply because he did not speak American. so then I asked him what my purpose in life was. The wise-guy leaned in close and whispered in my left ear (the sensual ear) "fan fiction dot net..."

At least I think that's what he said. In any case, I have returned with a new story of love, failure, triumph, and defeat. I missed you all very much, and I am glad to be back.

-Enjoy

"Picture a serine meadow… or a tropical island… I don't know; I haven't decided yet."

"Not a good start, but go on…" Judy propped her chin up on a paw as she lay draped over Nick's chest, awaking for the day.

"Shush, you" Nick pulled the covers over Judy's head, eliciting a giggle from the doe rabbit. "As I was saying; everyone would be gathered for the ceremony. You'd be at the altar with the father, awaiting the arrival of your strong-charming-handsome-smart and funny groom-to-be…"

"That's not how a wedding works, Nick…" Judy peeked out from under the heavy blanket as she interrupted "the bride is the last one to arrive at the altar."

"Oh, my bad, Carrots" Nick shot the offending rabbit a smug glare "I didn't realize we were going over your wedding fantasy… how inconsiderate of me." Acknowledging Judy's eye-roll Nick absentmindedly stoked the rabbit's long grey ears as he continued to explain his interpretation of their perfect wedding. A year had passed since the duo had first gotten engaged, and "the big day" was fast approaching.

"So, after literally hours of waiting for me to arrive… animals start to whisper; 'where's the groom' they say, 'Nick should have been here hours ago.' Amidst all the doubt, your father wonders if he and I will still have a chance at romance after breaking your heart."

A nasally chuckle escaped Judy at the thought of her father and Nick eloping, as he had joked so many times before.

"Just as the organist faints from exhaustion… Thunder" Nick paused for dramatic effect, earning an eye roll and slight groan from his fiancé. "But it's not thunder, it's me! Riding the biggest, loudest motorcycle you've ever heard or seen!"

"Nick, be serious" laughed Judy at the fox's outlandish story.

"I am serious, Carrots" defended Nick "this motorcycle is going to be crazy loud, it's probably going to give you hearing loss. In fact, if you have any old people you were planning to invite, you might want to lose those invitations, because it's probably going to trip their pace makers…"

Judy let her face drop onto Nick's chest as she tried her hardest not to laugh at Nick's stupidity.

"Anyways," continued the fox "I come screaming down the aisle on my bike, and I park on-top-of the wedding officiant; crushing him instantly. With his dying breath, he marries us. Then we kiss; it starts out tasteful, but then I slip in some tongue, maybe get myself a little bit of this action-"

"Nick!" Judy blushed hard at Nick's grab as she forced the fox's snout shut with her paws, prompting the fox to laugh at her embarrassment. "I guess I should have known better than to expect a serious answer…"

"Well I hope you learned your lesson," replied Nick, freeing himself from Judy's grasp. "Honestly, I never really fixated on the ceremony itself. It was always the night after the wedding which excited me."

"And why might that be, Mr. Wilde?" Judy asked from her position on top of Nick.

"That's when we get to mash dirty bits," answered the fox flatly.

"Nick!" Judy blushed even harder at the fox's teasing, and made another bid to silence her fiancé.

Nick laughed as he fought desperately to keep the flustered rabbit at bay. "Why do you think us foxes call it 'tying the knot"?"

Judy's blush was so violent that Nick thought for a second she might faint. Rolling off Nick's chest in mock disgust, Judy folded her arms in an attempt to hide her embarrassment. "Well that's not what we bunnies call it.

"So what do you prudish bunnies call it then?" a smug grin wrapped itself about Nick's muzzle as he continued to back Judy into a corner.

"We ummm…" Judy trailed off, prompting a raised eyebrow from Nick. "Okay, I'll tell you… but you can't laugh… okay?"

Nick's composure became even more smug, before a death glare from Judy set the fox inline. "I promise I won't laugh at your silly bunny traditions" grumbled Nick, crossing his heart in mock promise.

"We call it…" Judy wilted a little as she continued at a near whisper. "Ummm… 'Jumping the broom'"

Nick's eyes bulged, almost betraying his unbreakable façade. Judy shot the crumbling fox a fiery glare, daring him to laugh.

Clearing his throat, Nick steeped his paws in mock professionalism "Fascinating… if you'll excuse me I have some pressing matters to attend to." Retrieving the pillow from behind his head, Nick fluffed it once or twice, laid down flat, placed the pillow back over his face, and died of laughter.

"Nick!" the furious rabbit bellowed over her fiancé's muffled laughs, "you promised you wouldn't laugh!" Judy's embarrassment bubbled into anger as Nick laughed even harder into the pillow. Seizing the moment, Judy leapt onto her fiancé's chest, and pressed down with all her weight on the pillow in an attempt to smother the cackling fox.

Nick laughed even harder at Judy's rage as he attempted to fight off the assailing rabbit.

"Such savagery!" laughed Nick from under the pillow "predator and prey at each other's throats; what has Zootopia come to!?"

Feigning a final death throw, Nick's arms went limp and fell to the now ruffled and messy bedding. Catching her breath, Judy removed the pillow from her fiancé's face, and smothered a laugh with her free paw as she caught Nick's frozen expression of death.

"Oh no, pooooor Nick…" cooed Judy at her partner, as she reached for his tongue which was left hanging out of his mouth in mock expiration. "I'd put that tongue back in your head if I were you…"

Nick's mouth snapped shut protecting his long flat tongue, prompting Judy to giggle at his instantaneous recoil.

"What's this?" Judy continued as she lifted Nick's head with her paws, "Maybe he's not dead… maybe… I know! Maybe true-love's-kiss can bring back my fox!"

A snicker escaped Nick's entirely convincing façade as he puckered his lips for a kiss.

Rolling sideways off of Nick's chest, Judy delivered a kick to the fox's side, launching him out of the bed and onto the cold wood floor of the apartment.

Contacting the chilled flooring, Nick awakened with a yelp.

"He lives!" cheered Judy from the warm confines of the bed.

Nick was not amused.

Climbing back into bed with his triumphant fiancé, Nick returned to the previous topic of discussion. "In all seriousness, fluff, I've always been more of a honeymooner. And the fact that we're not going to have one…"

"We'll have a honeymoon, Nick" assured Judy, taking Nick's paws in her own as they lay across from each other. "We just have to save back up first. With the new apartment, wedding planning…"

"Cake, Food, Venues…" Nick finished Judy's list in disappointment. "I know, Carrots… I just… Always dreamt of visiting lavished faraway places, you know? The irony in that is that besides my trip to Bunny Burrows with you; I've never left the city of Zootopia."

Looking about their new apartment, Nick exhaled in mixed disappointment. Nick was happy that Judy and he had finally found an apartment together, but Nick couldn't escape the looming cost of living. As of late, money seemed to be the dark cloud in Nick's mind.

"If we were still detectives, we could afford a honeymoon" Nick grumbled, earning a stern look from Judy.

"You can't buy happiness, Wilde" chided Judy as she crossed her arms at the fox.

"Carrots, whoever said that; clearly did not have enough money" replied Nick.

Rolling out of Judy's striking distance, Nick got out of bed and stretched. "Come on fluff, we've got a long day ahead of us; let's get ready."

Oh hot-diggity!

Did you miss reading "oh hot-diggity" at the end of every chapter? I bet you did! If you did, then get ready for more! Off Without A Hitch is officially out, and I will be releasing new chapters every week until it's over. While this is just the first chapter, the rest of the story can be found by clicking on my name and following the link to my published works.

-Enjoy the next chapter!


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